Someone Like You
by lifewillout-always
Summary: Grey's Anatomy high school AU! Meredith Grey is little miss Queen Bee of Seattle Waldorf Prep. What happens when she meets Derek Shepherd, a new transfer from New York, and he becomes best friends with Mark, who's dating her best friend? Will he break her ice cold exterior or will she continue with the walls she's built up for 18 years?
1. Shot Down In Flames

Derek Shepherd found himself looking skeptically up at the façade of the Seattle Waldorf School. Back home in New York he had gone to private school, but nothing compared to this. Girls brushed by him, chatting to each other and ignoring him and his little sister Amelia.

"It's not fair that mom made us move right before I started high school, and this one starts at 8th grade," she whined beside him, standing a whole foot shorter than Derek, who was going into his senior year. Derek rolled his eyes.

"You know Mom got a better job than she had in NYC, so we moved. Just…go to class and I'll meet you after," he said with a sigh. He stood there for a few more minutes before heading to the office to pick up his class schedule and a map. After a moment he ditched the map in a trashcan, before looking up. A guy was standing there with a questioning look on his face.

"Uh hi, I'm Mark, are you Derek? I'm supposed to show you around today since you're in most of my classes." Derek merely nodded; he was nervous as hell. Mark merely led him out of the office and down the hall; he had to give them credit, the school was gorgeous. Gleaming hardwood floors, sparkling windows, brightly painted walls.

"So here's your homeroom, we have the same one, it's done by last name. I'll take you to your first class afterwards, okay?" he said, sounding bored. Derek merely nodded and slipped to a desk. This guy sounded so bored, he felt bad that he had to spend the day toting him around the school. If he could get away from it, he could.

* * *

After a morning of classes that he and Mark shared, they headed to the café where he was introduced to Marks friends. There was an Alex, Jackson, Ben, and a Charles, all of whom seemed very nice. He was distracted though, by a pretty blonde, who seemed to be parting the damn red sea with only her presence, a tall red head right behind her. She seemed perfectly at ease with who she was; her shoulders were thrown back, her green eyes shone, and she actually looked good in the regulation white polo, navy blazer, and navy wool plaid skirt, expertly rolled up to give the effect that it wasn't. On her feet were a pair of grey heels making her taller than she was, and as she walked past his table, she and the red head gave Mark a wave, before her eyes settled on Derek. She gave him a smirk before turning to the red head, sliding into a chair at a table in the very center of the café. Oh, to be a fly on the wall near that table.

"Who are they?" he asked in wonderment, studying the blonde as she laughed at something the red head said. Soon they were joined by a medium-height blonde and a tall black-haired girl, and the four started gossiping and sipping on their lattes.

"The tiny blonde is Meredith Grey. She basically owns the school, and every private school in Seattle. Her mother is a world famous surgeon who's almost always traveling for work, and she has parties basically every weekend since only the staff is there and they'd never tell her mother. Her father is out of the picture. The red head is Addison Montgomery. Her parents basically own all of Seattle. The girl with black hair is Callie Torres, no one even knows what her dad does, it's very secretive. And the taller blonde, that's Arizona Robbins, army brat. The four of them together could buy half the country," Alex said with a roll of his eyes.

Derek couldn't help but watch the four girls, especially the one named Meredith. She was gorgeous, with classic good looks; of course, all of them were wealthy beyond belief, and from what Alex had said, they ruled the school. A few minutes before the bell rang, all four girls got up and tossed away their coffee cups before heading over to the boys table, all smiles. Addison wrapped her arm around Marks waist and grinned.

"So last night was great. Want to do it again? My place, tonight, 9 o'clock? Bizzy and the Captain are still away," she grinned, locking him in a kiss. Callie and Arizona looked bored, their fingers twitching towards each other while Meredith looked bored, before she caught the eyes of Derek.

"So you must be new," she prowled, pulling herself up, her blonde locks falling in front of her face. He nodded slightly, hardly daring to look at her. Up close she was more than beautiful, she was stunning. She wore the bare minimum of makeup, choosing instead to wear neutrals, a nude lip gloss applied to her lips. Diamond earrings were in her ears and she wore a silver charm bracelet around her small wrist. She was gorgeous and intimidating, and Derek wanted to know what she wanted from him.

"You're new," she started simply, raising an eyebrow at him. It wasn't a question, just a statement. He nodded, withering under her glare.

"Where did you come from?" She asked, before retracting the statement. "Oh, that's right, I don't really care," she smirked, twirling her hair around her index finger. She was the queen bitch of Seattle Waldorf and she had to keep everyone under control, including those that were brand new. It was first day of senior year and she ruled with an iron fist. Turning on her heel, the three other girls followed her as she walked out of the café, all eyes on the four of them. Derek looked up at Mark who was looking after the tall red head – Addison.

"What was that about?" he asked the rest of the table, pushing back a bottle of water. Ben snorted slightly.

"Mark told you they rule the school. Especially Meredith. We've all been here since kindergarden, she's been bossing us around since before we could read. She's a bitch but she has power. With the snap of your fingers she can send you down to the bottom of the Seattle Waldorf hierarchy," he chuckled. Derek only rolled his eyes. At Trinity in NYC, he had dealt with rich brats like her; he had even dated a few. But he had definitely met his match in Meredith Grey. She was gorgeous, sure, but never before had he met such a brat with a bitch of an attitude.

* * *

 **Just a new fic idea I had, high school AU! I don't know if I like it though and if you guys don't like it I won't keep it up! Yes Meredith is little miss popular bratty spoiled bitch! I like taking this view of her, and softening her up as we go along and molding her into Derek's love. And know if i continue this story i will ALWAYS keep up with the others! You know how good I am about that! Read and review, please!**


	2. Something That We're Not

Meredith walked away from the café, her friends in tow, feeling unnerved. Who was this guy, and why did he make her feel this way? She was unshakeable, nothing bothered her, except apparently this new guy. He had a certain air around him, like nothing phased him, like she didn't phase him. It got under her skin and bothered her to no end as she sat in AP French class, conversing in French with Addison. She was fluent already, having grown up with a French au pair, and hated going through the motions of class, but she knew it would look good for college and she was aiming for an Ivy. She had to get out of this place. As she and Addison talked for their in class assignment, she wished she could just say how she felt about lunch today, but was grateful when the bell rang.

"Au revior, bitch," she smirked, blowing Addison as kiss as she swished her way down the hallway. The school was small and the senior class was even smaller, with around 80 students, and everyone could tell who the seniors were. The girls kept their skirts from 8th grade and the older they got, the shorter the skirts got as well to the point where they almost broke dress code.

Meredith walked through the hall, her leather messenger bag crossing her body, her navy blazer bothering her but she didn't feel like taking it off. At Seattle Walfdorf, she was the coolest of cool, little miss popular. Everything had to be run by her, and she knew everything about everyone. Except this new guy, apparently. Speak of the devil, she saw him coming in her direction and a smirk formed on her face.

Bingo.

She made her move to him, cornering him at his locker. She didn't care if she was late to AP English, it was the first day.

"So, new boy," she said to Derek, looking up at him. As he looked down at her she once again felt unnerved. Maybe it was the way he acted like he didn't care, or maybe it was his piercing blue eyes. She tossed her hair and pulled her shoulders back.

"Where did you come from? You seemed to be acquainted to Mark at lunch today," she said. Derek pulled a book from his locked and grinned down at her.

"Mark was assigned to give me a tour of the school, if that's what you call acquainted. And I come from New York City, land of pretty princesses like yourself. So if you're trying to intimidate me into submission, I'd like to get to AP Chem right now," he nodded, grabbing his book and pushing past her.

Meredith turned and stared in his general direction, her mouth open slightly. No one turned her down, no one spoke to her like that, no one rejected her. She gave a little 'hmph' noise and headed in the opposite direction to her English class, sliding into a seat as the second bell rang. This was going to be more difficult than she thought, hazing the new boy.

* * *

English was her last class of the day since she was a senior, and Meredith took off to the back fields to lay out on the grass and do her homework. Her friends and the guys usually joined her as they finished classes as well when the weather was still nice, but she enjoyed the silence as she lay on her blazer, trying not to get grass stains on her white Ralph Lauren polo, her heels kicked off for now.

As she finished her own AP Chem work, she could hear the dismissal bell and waited for her friends, and soon they were trickling in around her. To her dismay, Derek was still trailing Mark and she rolled her eyes, turning to Callie.

"So how was your first day back? Mine was great, so don't forget the party Friday night, mother dearest is in Texas giving a lecture, or something," she said, sliding on a pair of sunglasses and filing her nails. She looked over at Derek with one of her little smirks, knowing she was toying with him but she didn't care.

"You. New York. You're coming too," she said, before turning back to Callie and giggling about something. Derek rolled his own eyes and noticed they were all doing their homework so he pulled his out too, stealing glances at Meredith the whole time. He hated that he was so entranced by this horrible bitch of a girl. Sure she was gorgeous, but she had the personality of someone he had only seen in movies before. Everyone seemed to like her though, or maybe she ruled by fear alone. Derek sat back and texted Amelia, telling her where to meet him and everyone else and soon enough he saw her traipsing out towards the group. Unfortunately, so did Meredith.

"Well well, what do we have here?" she said, sitting up and pushing back her sunglasses. She regarded Amelia harshly. In her defense, Amelia stood her ground and stared Meredith down. She had gone to school with girls like her for years; hell, she had been a girl like her back home at Spence.

"Amelia Shepherd, and you are?" she asked Meredith. For the second time that day Meredith felt speechless. How dare these new people talk to her like that.

"Meredith Grey," she sniffed as she stood up and slid her feet into her heels. She was several inches taller than Amelia, thin as a rail, and definitely asserted her dominance. Derek twitched but didn't come to Amelia's defense right away.

"Oh, so you're the one everyone is terrified of? I can't imagine why, you're just like every other rich brat around here, why not let them be queen bee?" Amelia sassed, brushing by her and plopping down next to Derek. Meredith turned, infuriated, but at a loss for words. Addison grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Come on, Mer, it's not worth it."

"No, if she can get by me she's worth it," she smirked, grabbing for Amelia and moving her away from Derek.

"You belong over here, sweetheart, away from new boy, who I only assume is your brother. You're coming home with us today," she grinned as she gathered her blazer and messenger bag, pulling out the keys to her BMW hybrid SUV.

"Now say goodbye to your brother," she said nastily. "I still don't know his name but it's not highly significant right now," she said, her hand still in a grip on Amelia's arm. Amelia just rolled her eyes at Derek and waved goodbye, following the four girls to Meredith's car.

* * *

Meredith's house was surreal, completely unlike anything Amelia had ever seen. It was in the harbor and had a boat slip, with amazing views of Mount Ranier and carefully manicured lawns and gardens. The inside was a work of art, really, decorated in a modern French style with a full library, an office for Ellis, an indoor pool, and a suite of rooms that Meredith herself occupied. After parking her car, Meredith led the girls inside and upstairs, where food and beverages were already waiting – not like Meredith would touch anything that wasn't diet or low fat. Amelia perched on a chair and Meredith kicked off her heels and threw her blazer on the bed, facing her.

"So, tell me about yourself," she said simply, playing with her charm bracelet. It had been a gift from her father, the last thing she had from him, although really, her half sister was a junior and the other was a freshman and they sometimes made eye contact in the hallway. Still, she refused to talk to Thatcher. Amelia looked up at her, crossing her legs.

"My name's Amelia. My brother calls me Amy, but he's the only one allowed to do that. We moved here from New York because our mom got a job at Seattle Grace as a nurse." Meredith grinned and crossed her arms at that.

"My mother is chief of surgery there, this should be so much fun," she grinned, turning towards her floor length mirror and fixing her hair. Amelia just sighed, before Meredith turned sharply towards her.

"Look, Amelia. You being here with us? It's a privilege. We don't invite just anyone to be friends with us, especially an 8th grader. You had balls to act the way you did to me on the fields, and your brother shut me down too. So if you don't want to be here, the staff can show you out the front door," she said, pointing to her bedroom door. Amelia blinked up at her and didn't make a move, raising an eyebrow. Meredith relaxed a bit; she wanted to ask what her brother's name was but she wasn't going to sound that desperate. Besides, she was too cool to inquire after someone; they came to her.

"Meredith, I come from New York, where everyone is rich and privileged. You don't scare me just because you rule the school with an iron fist. You aren't Cersei, this isn't Westeros," Amelia spat out, and Meredith scrunched up her nose.

"No, of course it's not. It's high school. And that's a hell of a lot worse. At the end of the year I can either pass on the crown to you or have a race for the crown, take your pick," she smiled sweetly, sitting down on her bed. Amelia knew she had no choice. Meredith really was as evil as she had heard. Too bad she was gorgeous and held all the power.

* * *

 **Soooo chapter two! I hope you guys like it! Every other chapter will be in Meredith or Derek's POV Slowly he's going to start breaking down her bitchy exterior and get at the nice girl she used to be. I will not be taking requests for couples as I have this planned out already. There will be Calzona, there will be Maddison, there will be Jolex, and above all, this is a MerDer fic. Meredith is queen bitch but he WILL break her down day by day!**


	3. The Beginning

Derek waited until Amelia slipped in the house around dinnertime before accosting her.

"So Meredith Grey…what's she like when she's not ruling the school with an iron fist?" he asked his sister as she put her bag in her room. Amelia rolled her eyes, finding clothes that weren't her school uniform.

"She's actually kind of nice. She's still a major bitch, said something about how I'm the chosen one to be queen bee when she graduates next semester. I don't know why she zeroed in on me. Maybe because I didn't take her bullshit?" she shrugged her shoulders.

Derek looked contemplated. Amelia was sweet but sassy and she could and would stand up to anyone she came in contact with.

"Well. There's a party Friday and she invited me. You're too young to go out and drink but I'm going. I'm determined to work my way into this girl's brain. See how she ticks. See if I can crack her exterior." He didn't mention that he was completely enamored with her and wanted to see just how many walls he could break down and see the girl she really was inside. That might take a miracle, though.

* * *

Derek didn't mind school, especially now that he had a plan: woo Meredith Grey. He passed her in the halls every day but she was surrounded by a pack of girls and boys, giggling as she hauled her books from class to class. He wanted to corner her when she was vulnerable, but really, that was impossible. He knew his only chance was her party that night, which Mark was picking him up for.

After school, he and Amelia hung out for a little bit. Their older sister Lizzie was home from UW for the weekend and was hanging around, wanting to spend time with Amelia that night while Derek and Mark went out and partied. The party didn't start until 8, but Mark came over around 5 anyway, making up an excuse about boredom that Derek saw right through – he could tell his home life was crap.

"You know you're more than welcome to spend time here whenever you want," Derek shrugged, the two of them sitting on his bed playing video games. Mark shrugged a little bit before conceding.

"Thanks man, it means a lot. Sometimes I go over to Addison's but her family is crazy, Meredith is the only one who's left by herself because her mother is a surgeon. She takes advantage of it." Derek perked up at her name.

"So…tell me about her," he said, raising an eyebrow and pausing the game. Mark looked at him like he was crazy.

"You can't be serious, Shep, it's not like she's out of your league, she's just the ice queen. Even Addison bitches about what a horrible human she can be," he said, shaking his head.

"But. She's nice once you get past her cold exterior. I've known her since we were five and she wasn't always like that. Her parents split up when she was five but it didn't hit her until we were freshman and she realized she could get away with murder. Nothing was out of reach for her, then, she realized, and her mother gives her full access to her bank account. She's a brat, she has too much power, but no one tells her no because no one wants to be that person," he shrugged, taking a drink of his soda.

Derek could only shake his head slightly. He was going through with his mission one way or another.

* * *

The party started at 8; Derek and Mark got there around 8:45. Addison floated immediately over to Mark, who looked helplessly back to Derek. To his own credit, Derek asked Addison where Meredith was.

"Last I saw she was standing by the pool," Addison said and Derek's eyes bugged out. There was a pool?

"Where is the pool?" he inquired, figuring it would be out back. Addison shrugged her shoulders.

"Towards the back of the house, inside, under the kitchen. You can't miss it!" she said, before giggling and dragging Mark off. With newfound purpose, Derek made his way through the crowded mansion, finally finding the pool. It was absolutely gorgeous, in a room made entirely of stone, with a bridge over the center of the pool. And there she was in all her glory, in a tiny lace mini dress and black stilettos, ropes of pearls, fake and real, strung around her neck, holding court with a group of people, her head thrown back in laughter. Her honey blonde hair hung halfway down her back with her green eyes shining as she held a glass of wine in her hand.

She was stunning. He was breathless. He wanted her so badly.

This was going to be hard.

Walking across the bridge, he came up to the group of people, standing around the edges. He caught her eye quickly and her hard exterior returned with a teasing smirk.

"New York! You came. Or should I call you Derek now?" she teased. Up close she smelled like lavender, the sweet smell of moscato on her breath. Derek couldn't help but smile and tease back.

"You can call me anything you want to," he smirked, looking down at her. She was petite and beautiful, even in her heels. Her green eyes flashed as she smirked again.

"I think I like Der the best," she teased him, taking another drink of her wine. "Nice to see you at my party though, hope you're enjoying it. Sad your sister isn't here, she could be having loads of fun with us." Derek made a small face.

"Amelia is too young to come to your parties, Meredith," he said with a shake of his head. Amelia had begged and begged but he had said no. There was no way he was letting his 13 year old sister get drunk.

"Oh boo hoo, my parties are legendary and have been happening since 6th grade. Bring her next time, Der," she grinned, blowing him a kiss before disappearing from the room.

He had no idea what had just happened, except Meredith Grey had seemed almost human to him. She had laughed, she had teased, she had called him by a nickname. What was going on? He didn't want to get his hopes up too much.

* * *

Monday morning came too soon, and Derek found himself walking down the hallway towards Meredith. She sent him a steely glare with a roll of her eyes.

"Morning, Der," she said mockingly, and Derek shook his head. This girl was a complete mystery to him, a mystery he was dying to solve as he fell harder for her. Clearly alcohol cleared her of her inhibitions, but she was smart enough not to come to class drunk. He sighed as he switched books out at his locker – kids here were just as bad as in NYC – young, rich, and as long as they didn't embarrass their families they could do whatever they wanted.

He needed to get her alone and work at her mind.

* * *

 **Here's chapter three! I'm so sorry I'm being slow updating, I have a really bad case of bronchitis and I'm trying to keep up with school and rehearsal at the same time and not pass out from too much (but writing keeps me happy!) Hope you guys like this chapter, I have something planned to get Derek and Meredith alone together ;)**


	4. Honey, Honey

By Wednesday, Derek was more than frustrated. Meredith kept mocking him every time she saw him and he was getting tired of it. He had fallen into her crowd, but she was just a bitch every single time he saw her no matter what. It was like he couldn't do anything right and it was driving him insane.

Walking down the hall, he brushed by her and she turned, scrunching up her nose.

"Um, excuse me, but you touched me," she said, as Derek turned to face her. No one else was in the hallway at the time as they were almost late to their classes.

"I may have brushed by you," he said, mildly amused. Meredith looked like she was going to flip out, just for the sake of flipping out. Just then one of the schools alarms went off, with an announcement.

"This is a lockdown drill," the loudspeaker said. Meredith and Derek both froze in place.

"Please proceed to the nearest room with a locked door."

Derek didn't think, he just grabbed Meredith's arm as she shrieked, and led her to the nearest door, which ended up being a janitors closet, slamming the door behind them and locking it. He flicked on the night and sat down on the edge of the low sink, looking up at her. She was livid.

"What the fuck are you doing!?"

"It's a lockdown drill, idiot, you get in the nearest room and pretend you don't exist until they call all clear," he said. He was from NYC, they did this all the time. Meredith made a face and dropped her bag, leaning against the wall.

"Well now I'm stuck in here with you, Derek."

"Tell me more about how pleased you are about this," he said, rolling his eyes and staring at her cold green eyes. She sighed heavily and sat on her bag, resting her chin on her hands before looking up at him.

"I wasn't always such a bitch you know," she said quietly. She sounded almost human to him as she hugged herself in her blue wool school blazer.

"Really? I figured you tumbled out of the room with Ellis Grey's demeanor." She shot him another glare at that, straightening up.

"Really? You want to compare me to my mom? I'm a bitch because of the way she ignores and treats me. Like I'm an object. Oh, Meredith dear, please exit the living room and dining room all night and pretend you don't exist, like I didn't have you, because you're such a waste of space in this household," she singsonged, mimicking her mother. And suddenly Derek understood. She was treated like she was no one. She was treated like she was less of a person than the staff, as if she was a mistake, that she wasn't supposed to be alive.

"And you treat others like shit because you're treated like shit?" he asked her, eyes raised. He watched as her green eyes welled with tears she refused to shed. She'd learned not to cry when she was eight, when her mother threw away the birthday present her father had sent her, right in front of her, telling her she didn't deserve it.

"I don't mean to," she whispered, looking at her shoes, rocking back and forth.

"It's like. It's all I've ever known. I don't know how to treat people any other way because it's all I've known. Hate. I've never been loved before," she whispered, not wanting to look up at Derek. He felt compassion for her, like he was tearing down her walls, even though he had a feeling she would just build them back up.

"Haven't you had boyfriends to love?" he asked her tentatively and she looked up, shrugging her shoulders.

"No one I've ever cared about. Just inappropriate people to have sex with and throw away in the morning," she confessed, letting go of her legs and heaving a sigh. She looked over at him, tears welling up in her eyes again.

"I don't see why you care so much. You're just a new guy who happened to fall into my group of friends," she mumbled.

"Because you intrigue me. I find you fascinating. You're the most beautiful person I've ever met. You're filled with pain and suffering but you walk around like you own everything, hiding everything from the world with a smile and a snide remark. It calls to me. I like it. Not being spat at every day with something cruel, but the way you've learned to survive." Meredith let the tears fall down her face before she reached out and grabbed Derek's hand. Suddenly, the voice on the loudspeaker called 'all clear', and the pair stood up and Meredith quickly dried her tears, fixing her makeup in a compact.

"If you tell anyone anything I said I'll kill you," she said, but she turned around with a smile. She straightened her skirt and blazer, picking up her messenger bag and slinging it across her body.

"Not a word, Mer. Promise," he smiled, placing a hand on the small of her back as they stepped out of the closet. Thankfully, they were in a throng of people, and Meredith looked up at him with a genuine smile.

"I have to get to AP Chem. See you on the field," she said, clearing her throat and going the other direction as him. He smiled at her retreating back, releasing a breath that he didn't know he had been holding.

* * *

The next morning, Meredith was cheerier than usual, and she smiled as she parked in her parking spot, her ponytail swinging back and forth. It was raining lightly and she held her coat to her body as she headed indoors to the café for an early morning cup of coffee and to hang out with her friends before class started. They had a half hour. She was the first one there and ordered herself a skinny vanilla latte before sitting on top of one of the tables, her trench coat falling around her, picking at her split ends. She needed to get a hair cut but didn't know what to do with it this time. She heard someone approaching and she looked up; it was Derek and Amelia. Amelia diverted herself to get coffee, but she shared a smile with Derek, who sat beside her and slid his hand into hers. Her first reaction was to pull away, but she let it stay, hidden between the two of them.

"How's your morning been?" she asked him with a smile.

"Wet," he laughed with a shake of his head. She smiled back, toeing one of the seats with her navy heels, shrugging her shoulders.

"Better get used to it, it rains here more than it's sunny," she smiled, squeezing his hand slightly. Derek was just glad her mood hadn't changed since yesterday; if anything she was friendlier. He knew she would probably be bitchy once the others got there but he didn't care. He had broken down a wall and it didn't look like it was coming up.

* * *

 **Sooooo there goes a wall! She has a million more for him to break down but they're at hand holding! Go MerDer! Go Derek! Read and review guys!**


	5. Is That A Kiss?

The seasons were changing and the weather was changing, getting wetter and wetter. Meredith ambled across campus that morning, her black trench coat whipping around her, a new black Kate Spade tote slung across her shoulders, wearing a pair of brown leather ankle boots instead of her heels to tackle the mud. She hated it here; once upon a time her mother had had the chance to head to Boston, but turned it down because Seattle Grace had given her more money. But in her bag held look books and applications to all prestigious east-coast schools – Brown, Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, UPenn, Columbia, and Cornell. There was no back up for her, she was going to the east coast.

Finally she reached the front doors and put her umbrella down, heading towards the café where she knew Derek would be. She hated herself for being drawn to him but he was…interesting. And that damn McDreamy look of his didn't help.

Turning into the café, Derek caught her eye and she smiled slightly, before climbing onto a table. Derek slipped her a steaming hot latte and she smiled gratefully at him, before turning to the others.

"I look like a damn drowned rat," she pouted, fingering her damp hair as she sipped her coffee. Addison looked at her a bit.

"Mer you look fine, you look perfect," she said, suddenly involved in her own hair as Mark came up behind her.

"Do not," she hissed, walls going up again. Addison knew she was obsessive about her looks, especially her hair. She jumped off the table and grabbed her bags, glaring at Addison, coffee cup in hand. In a sweeping motion she knocked everyone else's cups off the table and made a huge mess.

"Oops?" she smirked, before making her way out of the café and to her locker. You can break one wall down, but a million more came up.

* * *

Class was always boring, and in French Meredith picked a different partner than Addison. She chose Cristina, the goth-like outcast. She rode a motorcycle to school and despite the uniform, managed to stand out from the rest with her wildly curly hair. Meredith had never talked to her, but learned she was from LA but loved Seattle more because of the rain. Being Meredith, she decided she could never be in their group of friends, but she liked the girl well enough.

After French she had AP English, with Derek sitting behind her. She could feel his gaze, his breathing ruffling her hair ever so slightly and she turned around, glaring at him.

"Can you stop that please?" she insisted, making a face at him. She hated herself for liking him so much.

"Stop what? I'm listening to the lecture on Macbeth," he retorted, playing with his pencil. Her eyes narrowed. If only it weren't so damn hard to keep her walls up.

"Breathing," she spat out, before turning around and continuing to take note furiously. After class she slammed her book shut and sashayed past Derek, her wool skirt hitting him in the face. He couldn't help but inhale the scent of lavender and lilacs as she passed on her way into the hall. He just couldn't figure her out.

* * *

Meredith stood in the girls bathroom, splashing water on her face. She had received a text in class from her mom – "Stuck in Zurich another week: you can survive right?" – It wasn't that she cared where her mom was. Okay, maybe she did. She was tired of being neglected, of being swept under the rug for surgery and medicine. Toeing her boot on the tiled floor, she turned around and ran into a stall where she sat on a toilet seat, quietly sniffling to herself. Her things were settled around her and she prayed and prayed no one would come in – but of course they did. There was a chatty bunch and she could distinctly hear Addison's voice among them.

"And did you see her during morning coffee inching towards Derek? And then she threw our coffee's at us? She's losing her touch. I'll be the Queen before even the semester is out. Meredith is losing it and for what, a boy?"

Meredith peered through the slats in the wooden door. Among the girls were Izzie, April, Callie, and Arizona. Callie and Arizona were biting their lips, while Izzie and April were openly giggling. Meredith took the time to silently gather her things and emerge from the stall.

"Oh and since when are you so observant, Miss I-Let-Mark-Take-My-Virginity-Freshman-Year," she said snottily with a little flounce of her hair. So she liked Derek. So she threw their coffee's at them. So fucking what? She was Meredith Grey and she wasn't about to go down.

Addie looked at her in horror.

"Th-that's not true," she said and Meredith glared even more at each other. Meredith knew the truth and now all the girls were looking at Meredith. Meredith, who held the power and knew everything.

"Oh, isn't it? You had sex in my bed and I found you two in the midst of it," she sneered. Addison's face was flushing as deep as her hair, and Meredith turned on her heel, her coat draped over her arm.

"Come on ladies, you don't want to be around the likes of unclassy bitches like her," she sneered, leading the way out of the bathroom, everyone following her with Addison in ruins.

School was over for the day and it was still raining, but that didn't deter anyone from the back fields. Meredith popped open her umbrella and twirled it around as she approached the boys, making it a show to sit down next to Derek, her coat on the wet grass, her tears from earlier dried.

"It's a good day to be queen," she smirked, stretching her long legs out in front of her, her navy tights and brown boots splattered with rain drops. Her fingers crept towards Derek's and his crept towards his as they sat under her umbrella, pretending no one noticed them. Mark stormed angrily up to Meredith and looked down at her.

"What did you do to Addison? She just called me sobbing."

"I gave her a taste of her own medicine," she said innocently.

"Now if you excuse me, I have somewhere to be," she said, standing up and tightening the belt on her coat. She cleared throat and looked down at Derek, who stood up quickly with her umbrella and followed her in the rain to her car. Once they were there he looked at her expectantly, climbing in the passenger seat. She put on something by Adele and pulled out of the parking lot, on the way to her house.

"And what exactly did you do to Addison?" he asked, breaking the silence between them. Meredith stopped at a light and bit her lip.

"They were all talking shit on me in the bathroom. I was. Um. I was hiding in the bathroom because my mom told me she's not going to be home another week. So she's going to miss another field hockey game – not like she ever came to them anyway – and Addison was being a bitch and cocky and saying I was losing my touch because I was falling for someone," she said softly as they continued to her house.

Derek sucked in a breath, hoping against hope but knowing it couldn't be true. He felt her hand slip towards his again and knowing they were in private, he knew he had to be right. He gave her hand a squeeze as they turned into the circular driveway of her enormous mansion, something he could appreciate more now that they were sober. She parked in her spot and led him into the warm and dry house, hanging her coat up and hanging up his. He looked around the house; it was absolutely gorgeous and he couldn't imagine growing up like this, but to Meredith it was just her life.

She led him up to her bedroom and she flopped into her purple bed with it's purple silk canopy and she kicked off her shoes. So this was what Meredith Grey's bedroom looked like.

"Why did you invite me home with you?" he asked her, perching on a chair close by. She sat up and rested on her hands, crossing her legs, shrugging her shoulders.

"So I could get to know you without the vultures getting in the way. Unless you don't want to…" she said, pulling back a bit. It was talking everything in her to try to let him in, and everything in her to say no, don't let him in.

He could sense every bit of hesitation in her and it pained him. He wanted to know her, the real her, who didn't have to rule the school, who was just a normal 18 year old girl (if you called living in a huge mansion basically by yourself normal).

"Are you sure about that? You don't seem so sure," he pointed out, and she bit her lip down hard.

"I'm never sure about anything but I'm a damn good actress about it," she shrugged, before laying back on her bed again, staring up at the canopy. She regretted the words immediately, as soon as they came out of her mouth and she blushed hard.

"That wasn't supposed to mean…fuck, I'll shut up," she mumbled, curling up in a ball.

Derek moved to sit next to her, feeling awkward at first but soon he felt comfortable, his hands finding the tangle of her curls as he heard sobbing sounds into her blankets. He felt bad for her; he knew she had a rough life beyond her tough façade.

"Hey," he said, laying down next to her and pulling her close. Her arms wrapped around him as she continued to sob into his shirt and he rubbed her back reassuringly. It seemed like she cried forever but eventually she stopped and he realized she had fallen asleep in his arms. For a moment he didn't know what to do, but after a moment he took off her school blazer and tucked her under the covers, before retreating to the next room and turning on the TV.

* * *

When Meredith woke up she was confused, she was still in her uniform and it was dark outside, with rain lashing out on the windows. She could hear the TV on in the next room and she ambled in, sitting down next to Derek.

"How long was I out?" she wondered, looking down only to find her Cartier watch wasn't there, he must've taken it off her.

"A few hours," he shrugged, before sliding an arm around her. He didn't mind, really. She stiffened for a moment with his arm around her, but then relaxed into him all at once, laying her head against his chest.

"Thank you," she whispered, her hand finding his and squeezing it. She felt something for Derek, that's for sure, she just wasn't sure what.

Derek smiled and kissed her forehead, his hands tangled in her hair. He could feel her smiling and she took her face in his, looking down at her.

"When was the last time you were kissed? I mean, really, properly, kissed?" he asked her, and her eyes sparkled with tears.

"I haven't," she whispered, thinking back to the slew of high school and college guys she'd slept with, and their sloppy tongues slipping against hers.

She took a deep breath as Derek kissed her, taking her breath away. Her eyes fell shut and she needed to come up for air after awhile, gasping. That was a kiss, a truly, proper, kiss.

* * *

 **So I'm in the hospital for a few days and I won't be able to be on the computer and I won't be able to see reviews or update anything until I get my things back Friday or Saturday! So leave me lovely things to read I love you guys!**


	6. Catch Me

The next day at school, Derek walked the halls, grinning like an idiot. He had kissed Meredith, the ice queen, Grey. He had kissed the queen bee, the queen bitch, the highest of them all.

He was driving to her house, ready to pick her up. He had texted her, saying he was going to pick her up and had received a smiley face back, knowing it was okay to get her. When he pulled up to her huge house, she slipped out the front door, looking impeccable in flawless makeup, somehow managing to make their school uniform look good, her usual khaki trench coat flung over her clothes and making her look put together, toting her black Kate Spade messenger back and eating a lite yogurt.

Slipping into the car she smiled at him, wanting to lean over and give him a kiss but still holding back. Then she noticed Amelia in the back seat and gave her a small wave. She liked Amelia a lot, she was fierce and loyal to Meredith, much more loyal than Addison had been, she thought, knowing she had dumped Addison (who was still sulking about it, she was sure, having seen her posts on facebook).

"Hi Mia," she said between spoonfulls of yogurt. Girls like Meredith were constantly dieting.

"And good morning to you," she smiled at Derek, reaching for his hand and squeezing it tightly. Part of her just wanted to bring it all down and open herself up to him but she couldn't, not yet. It was just too soon. She barely knew him. It had been what, a few weeks? A month? It was just too soon. He wasn't like the other guys that she'd fooled around with and almost gave her virginity to, the other guys who got mad and called her a tease and left her crying and fleeing to her friends. He was different but she wasn't sure how.

"Good morning yourself," he smiled, squeezing her hand back as they drove off to school.

* * *

Derek had joined the football team when he had come to Seattle Waldorf, and that Friday night was their first game. Of course it was raining slightly, but it was Seattle so no one batted an eyelash. Amelia and Meredith made plans to go together; normally Meredith didn't hit up sporting events but she was going to be there for Derek. She wore jeans and a pair of uggs, throwing on a school sweatshirt underneath a jacket, her hoods up as she stood by the fence with Amelia.

"I've gone to this school my entire life and never have I been to a sporting event," she giggled, as the two girls watched Derek and Mark play. Further down the fence was Addison, watching Mark, but she was alone. The other girls; Callie, Arizona, Teddy, Izzie, April, etc, were in their own group, heading towards Meredith.

"So Mer," April started with a little smirk.

"We hear you like Derek." Meredith turned around and shrugged a little bit.

"So what if I do? Are you going to smear my name around the school for liking someone? Remember, I'm still Queen bee, you're just my hand maidens," she said with a flick of a wrist. April's face fell. She was dating Jackson, another football star.

"Jackson said Derek can't stop talking about you, I think it's sweet. Maybe you can actually be tamed," she said in a sweet voice. April wasn't condescending but she always sounded like it; Meredith just had to remind herself that was the way she came off.

A breath caught in Meredith's throat. Derek was talking about her. Derek liked her. She liked Derek. But would her textbook of issues get in the way? She had mommy issues, daddy issues, trust issues, anxiety, throw in a bit of depression and confidence issues out the ass and she was a recipe for disaster. She acted like she had it all together but she was a mess.

* * *

At halftime the band and color guard played, and Derek came over to her, sweaty but full of endorphins to see his sister and Meredith. He drew Meredith to the side with a smile an she grinned back.

"So, I bet you have no idea how to play football." She couldn't help but laugh, it was true. She had no idea what was going on besides the guys chasing the football and scoring touchdowns

"Nope but you sure look good playing it," she flirted with a smirk on her face. God, she wanted to kiss him so badly.

"So, you should come to my place after. You know, after you'd showered all the sweat and gross off," she smiled, She was hiding in her hoodie and coat, freezing and wet, but she'd do this every Friday night for him if she had to. She just wanted to talk to him.

"Deal," he said, kissing her on the lips in full view of everyone as they looked on with wide eyes.

* * *

After the game, Meredith went home and showered, throwing on leggings and a pretty top to wait for Derek. When he arrived, she ran downstairs to open the door with a smile. He smelled fresh, like soap and nice aftershave and she smiled.

"Hi," she smiled brightly, tugging him in out of the rain as she led him upstairs to her bedroom suite. They sat down on her bed and she picked at her split ends, before looking up at him.

"You know, I'm not used to doing this. This…relationship thing. But I have this thing for you. And I'm not sure what it is. But I think I'm falling for you, and I don't know how to control it because I've never fallen for someone before," she said softly and slowly, her eyes pooling up with tears. He slowly bridged the gap between them and took her face in his hands and kissed her gently, tenderly.

"I haven't done this before either. There have been girls, but…not a relationship. And I can tell that you have walls, and I'm willing to wait to break them down, or willing to wait for you to bring them down, or for us to bring them down together," he said tenderly, running his fingers through her damp hair.

She took a deep breath before opening her eyes up, nodding slightly.

"I think…I think slow is good. I don't want a label. I'm not ready to label this. I'm not your girlfriend…but I can be your Meredith," she whispered gently, ever so quietly. He smiled softly. It was a start. Not his girlfriend, but his Meredith.

* * *

 **Thank you for patiently waiting for me to update this story! I hope you like the chapter College is up next, then ballet! I really like where I'm going with this story, I'm sort of just making it up as I go so I'm sorry if I'm going too fast, I can slow down if you'd like me to! Please read and review!**


	7. Reviews

**Ugh so reviews aren't showing up AGAIN. I can see you amazing people have sent in reviews but I can't read them and it's killing me! I have one more story to update but I don't want to update any more of them until reviews are showing again because I want to give you guys what you want in my chapters and not just ignore your opinions! THIS IS KILLING ME! I'll write an update for the ballet story (not that anyone really reads it) since it's next in line but ugh, I want to wait for reviews to show again! I really really want to see what you guys are saying! You can always message me things Goodbye for now!**

 **Also, follow me on twitter at merderinabar**


	8. Fix You

Monday morning, Meredith stood waiting by her car for Derek in the rain. It was mid-October and she was freezing, picking a stray lint off her winter uniform for school, waiting for Derek and Amelia to get there. When Derek pulled into the parking spot next to her spotless black BMW SUV, she smiled, rushing around to the driver's side. She had spent her weekend doing a 15 page essay for AP English and had been pissed she hadn't been able to see Derek the whole time, since he had been doing the same thing essentially.

"Hi!" she said brightly, as Amelia headed off to homeroom. Her hand slipped into his as he kissed her forehead.

"Good morning," he smiled, surprised by her upbeat mood but he had learned there were two Meredith's. The Meredith he knew personally and the Meredith that the rest of the school seemed to think they knew. They walked across the back fields, taking their time in the light rain and soaking each other in, Meredith chatting about her weekend and about the ridiculous party her mother threw.

"It was like, this stupid dinner party and she invited her interns and residents and the attendings, and basically the entire hospital, and she told me to stay in my room or else get dressed up, so I stayed in my room and watched half a season of Friends before they all left, and one of them kept trying to flirt with me and ugh," she whined, wrapping an arm around his waist as they entered the school. She was tired of hiding her six week whatever it was with Derek. She had told him she wasn't his girlfriend but she was his Meredith, and he was her Derek, and she had so many walls up it was crazy. She knew she could trust him and she knew they could be truly happy together and part of her wanted to say fuck it. She was close to that when a short brunette came into view and soured her day.

"Lexie," she hissed, the younger girl making a face back at her.

"Meredith," she said, her eyes narrowed. Lexie was one of two younger sisters that went to her school and she sighed out of frustration, her mood ruined. She could tell Derek was trying to pull her back and after a few moments her attention was brought back to him as they walked to AP English together, Meredith slipping into the seat in front of him. She could feel his breath on her neck again but this time, it was a welcome feeling instead of unwelcome and she couldn't help but smile as they went over the lesson on Plato and Aristotle.

* * *

After English there was a break for homeroom, which was half an hour. Meredith was grouped in with kids from A-H, meaning she was with none of her friends, and she managed to get a pass to Derek's homeroom so she hung out with him, Arizona, Callie, and basically all of her friends. No one had a G for a last name except for Lexie, who had skipped a grade and was a senior with her. She hated staring at her sister, the one she was never supposed to have, so even if she wasn't with Derek she would be with him anyway.

Slipping into a desk next to him, she nudged the toe of his shoe with her ankle boot, smiling a little bit.

"Hey you," she said softly, batting her eyelashes. She wanted so badly to be one of those wide-open couples but…she couldn't do it. Some part of her just couldn't. Not yet. Not now. Derek reached across the aisle and pulled her into his lap and she blushed deeply as all of her friends watched the two of them together. She pressed a kiss to his lips but that was all; even with previous boyfriends she wasn't big on the PDA thing. But Derek wasn't like previous boyfriends. Derek was…Derek. Her Derek.

When the bell rang she spring up, grabbing her back-pack and taking his hand as he escorted her to AP-Calculus. She was smart, she got good grades, and now she was 'dating' a football player, a transfer from NYC. She was little miss popular, she was queen bee, everyone wanted to be her. She sighed slightly; she knew she had it all, but she knew she could have more. Just. Stupid walls that we towering around her.

* * *

After conversational French, where she had decided to pair with Addison once again and learn more dirty secrets, she found herself in the rain on the back fields, standing under her umbrella again, pacing back and forth as she waited for the rest of the school to get out. She knew Derek only had a half-block of AP Chemistry, so he came out first with a smile on his face, ducking his head under his hoodie before he took her umbrella out of her hands.

"Well hello Miss Grey," he smiled, pecking her lips once again. Meredith smiled and closed her eyes, leaning in for more. No one was around and she stood on her tip-toes, wrapping her arms around him and letting her tongue slip into his mouth. She wasn't too surprised when he reciprocated and they were making out in the rain. Faintly she could hear the bells ringing in the background and soon their friends were coming towards them and she pulled back in a knee-jerk reaction with a warm smile on her face.

"That was…."

"Amazing? Wonderful? Let's do it again?" he laughed, pulling her close. It was freezing and he was warm, and she loved being wrapped in his arms.

"All of the above?" she smiled, kissing his lips again. She sighed happily, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Come over around 8. We can 'do homework'" she teased him, giving him one last kiss before taking back her umbrella and heading to her car, pausing every so often to gaze back at him before she got in her car and sped home.

* * *

Meredith changed into leggings and a sweater, settling down on her bed to do homework until Derek arrived. She skipped dinner, instead drinking copious amounts of water and diet coke to fill her stomach. Once 8 pm rolled around, she rushed downstairs, practically dancing around the wide entry hall, almost knocking over an antique vase her mother had one of her interns hunt down a few years ago. Once she saw Derek parking in the half circle she grinned, throwing open the doors and smiling. He smiled back, his blue eyes shining as he wrapped her tiny form in a hug.

"Hey gorgeous," he smiled, hugging her tightly.

"Hey you," she said softly, knowing that half the household staff was watching but she didn't care. She lived for these moments away from school, where she didn't have to put up a front and she could be herself. He softly kissed her on the lips and she let him with a smile, before leading him upstairs to her private lounge. Something was on the tv but she turned it off right away, turning to him. Her sweater hung off her shoulders and her dirty blonde curls tumbled down her back, the way she knew he liked it.

"So what do you want to do tonight?" she asked, cocking her head to the side with a smile.

"That's sort of what I wanted to discuss. I don't want to sneak around with you. I don't want snatches of time with you in your house or my house, or in the car, or on the back field. I want you to be my girlfriend. I want to date you. I want to take you out on dates, to dinner, to the movies, I want you to be my date to prom in the spring, I want to go to the same college as you, I want the world with you." She flinched as he spoke.

"I know you aren't ready for that. I'm just laying it out." Meredith nodded and took a deep breath.

"My mom cheated on my dad for years with some guy she works with. They're together now. He's not my stepdad or anything but he may as well be. My dad remarried and Lexie and Molly are my sisters. Lexie is only 16 but she's a senior, she skipped a grade. I hate that she's a senior and I hate that she's nice. I have…a lot of trust issues. I do not do cheating. If you ever, ever cheated on me, you would be run out of the school from the sheer force of my friends. Mark has my back, as well as the rest of the guys, and you know they can be intimidating. I have daddy issues, and mommy issues, and commitment issues. But I have this thing for you, Derek, and this thing….I don't know how to describe it, but I want you, and I want to throw away everything for you. But I can't just throw away eighteen years of misery," she said, her hands folded in her lap as she looked down, tears streaming down her face.

Derek reached out and touched her cheek, pulling her closer.

"Just because you're broken doesn't mean you can't be fixed. And I'm going to do everything I can to fix you, if you'll let me," he said to her. For the first time since she was five, Meredith felt like she had hope as she looked up at him and broke into a smile.

"You can take me out. We can do the dating thing," she whispered slowly.

* * *

 **So so glad reviews are working again! I really like this chapter, I'm scared I'm going too fast but Meredith isn't agreeing to *everything* just yet so I feel like I'm pacing it along nicely. Walls are coming down one at a time and not at once, which is fine by me!**


	9. Neon Lights

Friday night, Meredith was nervous as hell. A pile of dresses grew increasingly higher on the other side of her bed as she stood in front of her mirrors, trying to find something to wear that she actually liked looking at on herself. In the end she chose a red dress that crossed at her neck and had an open back, slipping her feet into black heels. Her hair was tied back at her shoulder, curls spilling down, and she used the bare minimum of makeup, adding some brown eyeliner and black mascara with a touch of nude lipstick. Throwing her phone, lipstick, and a few other things into a clutch, she headed downstairs just as Derek rang the doorbell. She grabbed her coat and opened the door with a shy smile. He was looking pretty great in a button up and black pants, his hair still wet and combed back neatly.

"Hey," she smiled, letting him take her in in her red dress. She couldn't help but notice how his red button up matched her dress perfectly, as she stepped outside and shut the door, pulling on her coat and leaning in to kiss him.

"I've kind of been imagining tonight all week," she confessed with a blush, leaning into him and smiling warmly. With Derek she could let all of her defenses down, almost. At the very least she could be herself and not hold back – he let her feel like she could let loose and be the person she really was, and not the bitch she was in school. In turn, Derek was glad she could be herself and more importantly he was glad he was the one who brought that out in her.

"Come on, we have dinner reservations at your favorite place," he said, and she gaped in wonderment. How had he found out her favorite spot? He helped her into the passenger side of his car and before she could ask, he slid into the drivers side.

"You have pretty awesome friends who really want our relationship to work and want to help out," he smirked, and in her head Meredith couldn't help but think of Addison and how they were just starting to rekindle their strained friendship.

Derek drove for a bit, at least 20 minutes, before pulling up at what was indeed her favorite restaurant. She smiled as he helped her out of the car and she slid her hand into his as they headed inside to eat. She felt she knew him pretty well but over the course of the meal she got to know him even better.

"I have four sisters, Mer. Four! I'm the second youngest, the rest are all older and in college or med school across the country. I grew up in New York City, you know my mom's a nurse. My dad...he owned a shop. He gave everything for that shop. One day Amelia and I were playing in the back, and it got robbed at gunpoint. I protected her, I covered her up and shut her up so they wouldn't hear us. But I couldn't protect her from hearing the gunshots that killed our dad," he said quietly, and Meredith's heart sank for him, her hand reaching across the table.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and looking into his blue eyes with sorrow. He was biting hip lip and shrugging his shoulders.

"It's just life. Just like yours is having divorced parents and a step-family you don't like and didn't ask for, I didn't ask for this," he said simply, and Meredith bit her lip in protest.

"Yes but they're alive and I could be slightly more grateful for all of them," she admitted with a sigh and a wrinkle of her nose. She could be nicer to Lexie, she could visit her father and step-mother, and she could try harder with her mother. Noticing that she was down, Derek signaled for the bill and paid for their dinner, before nudging her hand.

"Hey, put on your coat, I'm taking you somewhere I really like," he smiled," and she stood up, shrugging into her black wool coat and following him outside. Instead of going to the car like she thought, he led her on a walk along the water, which was colder but she didn't care.

"Now you tell me about your life," he grinned, pulling her close. She laughed with a small roll of her eye.

"Please, I'm sure everyone around school can tell you that," she teased him, but she cleared her throat.

"I was born and raised here, I've lived in the same house my entire life. My mom is Ellis Grey, the greatest thing to happen to surgery since the creation of insulin," she grumbled, rolling her eyes. "She's the chief of surgery at Seattle Grace. She demands excellence and perfection of me, which frankly, is why I think I'm such a bitch. I get it from her. She's kind of a monster. She sends the interns to do her tidings like get her coffee, her dry cleaning, etc. She'll teach them if she thinks they're worth teaching. She plays favorites. I know she loves your mom, though. I've heard her talking about her when we're both at home," she said, knowing that this was true. She'd heard the name Carolyn Shepherd over dinner dozens of times, about how she was her favorite scrub nurse and she loved hearing stories of her kids. She wondered how her mother would react knowing she was dating one of Mrs. Shepherds kids.

"My dad, Thatcher, is a writer. He's written a few successful things. My step-mother Susan is a stay at home mom. I have two sisters, Lexie, or Alexandra, and Molly. Molly is a Freshman and well, Lexie skipped a grade and she's a senior. I should be nicer to them but to me, they're reminders of everything I don't have," she slumped her shoulders, focusing on her feet. She was a trainwreck.

"My mom doesn't care what I do. As long as I get good grades and don't make a mess of myself in public I'm allowed to do what I want and get access to her credit cards. It's all sorts of fucked up but it's the same for all of us. Mark, Addie, Alex, Izzie, April…everyone. It's just kind of how it is," she said, tucking her free hand into her pocket and toeing the ground with her shoe. Derek sort of nodded as he looked up at the sky. For once since he had moved to Seattle in August, the sky was cloudless and the stars and moon were shining.

"Yeah, well, that's what it's like in prep schools, I'm familiar with the concept, just not with joining in," he teased her, and she rolled her eyes slightly. She knew he came from a just as fancy prep school back in NYC and so did Amelia; they were all the smartest and the richest without having to say a word about it, it came with the territory.

"Come on," he said, nodding up to the ferry boat and she had to giggle. She always saw the ferry boats from her windows and while she was driving to school but she had never been on one. They didn't have the car but it didn't matter, they climbed on the one that was docked and paid for their fare, before Derek dragged them to the top deck. She was freezing and the wind whipped her hair around, but Derek wrapped his arms around her tightly as the ferry moved slowly across the water. He looked above them and she looked at where he was looking as he pointed out constellations to her.

"That's the big dipper, and that over there is Orion's Belt, and then there's a bunch that I'm pretty sure my sister Lizzie made up so I would get them wrong on a test in fourth grade," he laughed, and she had to giggle, leaning into him. So far, this was the best date she had ever been on. Leaning into him she sighed happily and closed her eyes, pulling his arms closer to her as she felt him bury his face in her neck, placing kisses down her jaw and neck.

"Mmm Meredith," he sighed and pulled her ever closer, and she turned, burying her face in his hair and taking a deep breath. Standing on the top deck of the ferry, alone with just Derek, she was feeling everything at once. It was overwhelming and yet she was feeling perfectly calm and clear for once in her life.

"Der," she whispered, and her voice was so quiet at first that he didn't hear it at first.

"Derek," she whispered louder, and he pulled away for a moment, taking her face in his hands in a smile.

"Hmm?" he asked her with a smile.

"I think I'm falling for you," she whispered, admitting it with a smile, her eyes shining. In response he leaned down and kissed her, taking her breath away.

* * *

 **Sooo they finally went on their first date! This chapter was super fun to write and I can't wait to write more like this! Next up is homecoming ;) I love writing this story and my dance company's show is tonight so bam! No more rehearsing 6 days a week so that frees up so much time to write more! And I'm finished the semester on May 6th and only have one class this summer and it's online so YAY! I have alllll summer to write for you guys! It's going to be awesome, I have so many plans for all of my stories and I'm so excited!**


	10. Long Live

The week of Thanksgiving was homecoming week; the night before Thanksgiving was the homecoming dance, and Thanksgiving day was the big football game. Meredith was nominated for homecoming queen along with Addison, Arizona, and Izzie. For homecoming king, Derek, Mark, Alex, and Owen had been nominated. Meredith went crazy campaigning for her and Derek; she had won every year since Freshman year and she wasn't about to lose this year, and she wasn't about to have Derek lose either. They WOULD be homecoming king and queen together.

As she pranced around the school, hanging campaign posters with Derek, she couldn't help but smile. This was her last year here before she fled Seattle for the east coast and she wanted to make it memorable. She didn't have a fancy slogan or anything. Just 'Vote for Meredith Grey' and a photo of herself. Back home she had a fancy gown picked out and she was determined to win. Every year before she knew she would, but this year she wasn't so sure.

One thing she was sure about was her relationship with Derek. Her friends all called him McDreamy which made her giggle; she could see it. The hair, the eyes, the chisled good looks. He was her McDreamy and she was his Meredith. They were a couple and the entire school knew about it, and for once Meredith was proud of her decision. Derek was her everything, and the only thing she hated was the looming threat of college over their heads ripping them apart.

* * *

One day after school, the day of the homecoming dance, Meredith was at home sifting through the mail before she changed out of her uniform and went to Derek's. She sucked in her breath when she found the huge, thick packet from Dartmouth, knowing what it was. Standing at the kitchen table, she tore into it and found the small envelope holding the decision of her future.

 _Dear. Miss Grey,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted early decision into the Dartmouth College class of '20, and the Geisel Medical School class of '24._

She dropped the letter there and shrieked. She had been accepted into their 8 year pre-med and med program. Tears formed in her eyes as she gathered the papers and ran up to her room, putting them back together and tossing them in a bag to bring to Derek's. She was overwhelmed as she changed into skinny jeans and a heavy sweater, finding a pair of boots and a scarf. Heading back downstairs she grabbed a warm coat to fight off the fall chill and the rain, grabbing her car keys and jumping into the car. Derek lived close by and she was jumping out of her seat as she drove there in the pounding rain, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel at red lights. Finally she was parking in front of his house, a modest 5 bedroom colonial that she loved if only because it felt more homey and lived in than her own manse.

Knocking on the door, she smiled when Amelia answered the door.

"Hi!" she said, amped up so much from her acceptance letter. She was all smiles, her hair still braided down her back.

"Hi," Amelia said sweetly, letting her into the house and out of the rain. Meredith rocked back on her boots timidly with a shy smile.

"Is Derek around?" she asked, trying to hide her excitement, and at the moment an older girl, looking almost identical to Amelia, walked into the entry way.

"He's in his room," she said, playing with her curly black hair.

"You must be Meredith. I'm Lizzie, his next oldest sister. I've heard a lot about you," she said sweetly. Meredith noticed she had the same piercing blue eyes, and she was completely stunning.

"I'm here on Thanksgiving break but Kathleen and Nancy don't get here until Wednesday, we're coming to the homecoming game," she said with a smile.

"He's in his room, by the way. And oh, we're all rooting for you two for homecoming king and queen," she grinned. Meredith smiled before starting up the staircase at a run, knowing just where his bedroom was, having been there more than a dozen times. Knocking on the door gently, she twisted the doorknob and poked her head in, grinning when he looked up from a textbook.

"Hey gorgeous," he said, closing the book and getting up as she entered the room. She pulled off her coat and scarf, tossing them on the bed, before leaning into him as his arms wrapped around her. She felt at home, reaching out and pecking a kiss on his lips, her own arms wrapping around him tightly before letting go.

"Something awesome came in the mail today," she grinned, reaching in her bag and pulling out the Dartmouth packet. Subsequently he reached for something and displayed it to her, the Bowdoin admissions packet. Meredith grinned and leaned foreward, embracing him in another kiss.

"Wehave tickets out of here. Or I do. You like it here," she teased him, and laughed.

"I only like it here as long as you're here," he promised her, letting his hands run through her bangs that always fell in her face.

"I've dreamed of going there ever since my mom dragged me to a lecture there when I was five, I applied early decision and I've been waiting ever since," she said dreamily, pulling out the letter again. She was deliriously happy, especially because she was only a few hours drive from Bowdoin and she'd have a car at school.

"Are are you accepting?" she nodded to the packet, and he looked at her and smiled, reaching down and kissing her.

"What do you think Mer? I get to be only three hours from you for four years, and for med school I'm picking the east coast as well. I love you, Mer, I don't want to be far from you." When he said I love you, those three words, she froze, feeling tears in her eyes. She had never heard them before in her life, not even from her mother, and she didn't want to fuck It up. He noticed the tears in her eyes and he brushed the braid from her shoulder.

"Don't freak out. You don't have to say them back. I just…I wanted you to now how I feel about you. You can't get rid of me," he said, pulling her close as she shed a few years before nodding slowly against his chest, taking a few breaths. She knew someday she'd be able to say it, but not now.

* * *

Later that night was the homecoming dance, and Meredith and her friends were getting ready in her suite of rooms. A movie was playing in the lounge, and in the room they were trying on dress after dress, but Meredith knew what she was wearing: a black silk and chiffon strapless gown, with a bit of a dramatic train, her blonde locks done up in an updo of curls and a black silk ribbon pinned strategically on the side. She looked like a million dollars, especially in her strappy Christian Louboutians. All the girls sashayed down the grand staircase, Meredith saving herself for last. Derek gulped when he saw her; she looked more than stunning. She looked like a princess and he held out his hand, leading her to the limo as she draped a wrap around her shoulders.

"You look stunning," he said and she smiled, brushing her red lips across his cheek.

"You clean up nicely yourself," she smiled, running her hand against his arm as they slid into the limo , sharing the backseat as everyone broke out champagne and wine but Meredith didn't want any. Quickly the limo brought them to the dance, which was held in the schools multip-purpose room, a room with good lighting and gleaning hardwood floors. Tonight it was dark, lit with twinkling lights and music bouncing off the walls. Amelia was already there with her pack of friends and they smiled at Meredith and her friends, before Meredith pulled Derek off to dance. The song was upbeat and she giggled at his dancing but she loved every moment of it, running her fingers through his hair and getting into the dance.

Eventually the song slowed down and Meredith smiled, not having to look up far to look in Derek's eyes.

"Remember how I said the other day that I couldn't tell you I love you, because I was a mess and I didn't know how to say it?" she said in a shaky voice. Derek nodded, pulling her close.

"I love you," she whispered shakily, looking up at him, never so sure of anything in her life. He looked down at her, at her green eyes and he smiled, knowing she wasn't lying, knowing she wasn't saying it just to say it, knowing she was telling the truth.

"I love you too, Meredith," he said with a smile, kissing her in front of the whole party and the smile on their faces was indescribable as they danced. Soon enough the committee stood up at the mic to make the king and queen announcement. Meredith held her breath along with Derek as king was called. Meredith felt dizzy as Derek was called and his hand slipped from hers and he went up on stage as he was crowned king. More than ever, she wished and hoped that she was crowned queen, and two minutes later the crowd went wild as she heard her name called. The crowd parted as she waltzed up to the stage and a tiara was placed on her head and she slipped her hand into his, raising them up in the air, her smile infectious as she felt his lips on her ears. Long Live by Taylor Swift played in the background as they had their traditional spotlight dance, and Meredith wasn't sure how senior year could get better than this right now.

* * *

 **So Meredith and Derek aren't going to the same schools but they'll be close! I hope you guys liked this chapter, I loved writing it!**


	11. Autumn Leaves

Thanksgiving day brought the homecoming football game against their rival prep school, Seattle Prep. The rain was pouring down as Meredith got dressed in her room, layering thermals and sweatshirts under her rain jacket, pulling on three pairs of socks before tucking her feet into her rainboots. Her face was free of makeup as she French braided her hair into two braids, grabbing an apple as she made her way out to her car and drove to the school. Rushing out of her car to the field, she found Addison and ducked under her umbrella, the two girls looking out for Mark and Derek. The game had started and they were in the second quarter; it was muddy and wet and Meredith wrinkled her nose. God, she hated the weather here.

At half time the band played and Derek wandered over to the fence. He was soaking wet and covered in mud and Meredith had to laugh. She had to admit, she was pretty wet herself, her wet hair running down her freezing cold back.

"So, since your mom is most likely at the hospital, you should come over for Thanksgiving dinner. My mom is a pretty good cook and you can meet the rest of my sisters," he smiled, and she blushed deeply but nodded.

"I'll be there," she smiled, leaning over and giving him a kiss before he was called back into the game. She and Addie tried to keep each other warm during the rest of the game, which Seattle Waldorf won.

* * *

After the game, Meredith went home and took the longest shower of her life, since she was freezing cold, wet, and slightly muddy. Taking the time to do her hair was fun; she blew it dry with curlers and let the brown-blonde waves hang down her back. Next came makeup, natural but not too natural, with a slightly pink nude lip. She had already met two of his sisters, Lizzie was sweet and she and Amelia got along well, but she was nervous to meet his oldest sisters and his mom. According to Amelia, Nancy, who was the oldest, was married and had a two year old, so she had a lot of people to impress today.

Standing in front of the closet she grabbed a black lace dress with long sleeves that zipped up the side, pulling on gray tights and zipping up black with gold-plating high-heeled ankle boots. Spraying herself with some perfume, she added a long necklace with a key on it that said 'Strength' and a few bangle bracelets, before heading downstairs, grabbing a coat and scarf, and climbing into her car. Derek's house was close and she was there in notime, noticing the extra cars in the driveway. She parked in front of the house and walked up the damp driveway carrying the apple pie that the cook had insisted she bring, knocking gently on the door, immediately regretting her decision to come to dinner. Even if she hadn't though, she'd spend a lonely dinner by herself in her room, with her mom at the hospital.

Fortunately, Derek answered the door and his face lit up when he saw it was Meredith.

"Hi!" he said, wrapping his arms around her. She broke into a smile and wrapped an arm around him, not wanting to drop the pie.

"Happy Thanksgiving," she smiled happily up at him as he took the pie from her and led her into the kitchen. There were his mother and another sister, Kathleen she guessed because she didn't have the harried look of a mother about her. Again though, she looked exactly like the rest of the family. His mother, she was pleasantly surprised, had blonde hair and blue eyes and a soft, gently face. No wonder she was one of her mothers favorite nurses.

"Mom, this is Meredith Grey," he said and his mother turned around with a smile as he set the pie on the counter with a million other desserts. She turned and looked at Carolyn Shepherd, blushing slightly. Derek left the room to get something done, leaving her to the vultures.

"You look just like your mother, but I imagine if you've captured Derek's heard you're at least a million times nicer than she is." Meredith couldn't help but laugh at how true that was, and she decided immediately that she liked her.

"Thank you for inviting me for Thanksgiving, Mrs. Shepherd," she said warmly.

"Please, call me Carolyn. And if I know your mother at all she'll be at the hospital for the next 48 hours. This is Kathleen by the way, Derek said you've already met Lizzie, and Nancy is in the other room with her daughter," she smiled. Meredith turned to Kathleen to shake her hand, but she was enveloped in a hug.

"Please, any girlfriend of Derek's is great in my book. He's really taken by you, from the way he talks about you," Kathleen said with a smile. She was tiny like Meredith, with the Shepherd signature dark curly hair and piercing blue eyes.

"I'm finishing up my masters this year at Cornell, I'll be a psychologist. Maybe I'll go to med school for psychiatry," she said with a shrug.

"What's your plan?" Meredith blushed deeply.

"I was accepted early decision to Dartmouths eight year pre med and med program," she said, blushing deeply. Carolyn raised a brow.

"And does this have anything to do with Derek accepting Bowdoin?" she teased, and Meredith blushed deeper.

"Perhaps," she said, as Derek came up behind her.

"Come on, let's go meet Nancy and Andrew and my niece Alena," he smiled, taking her hand and leading her to the living room. Meredith felt shy as Nancy stood up; she looked like the rest of the family, except her hair was cut to her chin but she had the Shepherd eyes. Her husband was tall and brunette, and there was a little girl with curly black hair sitting on the floor playing with dolls.

"This is Meredith," he said, and Nancy got up to give her a hug and a smile.

"Hi, I'm Nancy. I live back in Connecticut, I'm an OB/GYN," she said with a smile, before lifting Alena into her arms.

"This is Alena," she grinned, and Alena reached out for Derek who took her and Meredith couldn't help but smile. Kids terrified her, she thought she would screw them up like her mother had screwed her up, but she thought as long as they weren't hers they were sweet and adorable.

"She's precious," she admitted, nervously playing with one of her bracelets. I was a habit she had and Derek watched her, knowing she was nervous meeting his family and he slid an arm around her waist, passing his niece back to Nancy.

"Come on, let's go upstairs," he smiled, taking her hand and leading her to the back stairs and up to his room. Once here, she sat on the edge of his bed, still nervous as hell about his family.

"Mer, calm down. They like you. You wouldn't be here still if they didn't." She let out a small laugh, releasing a long breath she hadn't known she had been holding.

"I know, I know it's just. I'm not good with families. Or people. Or anyone. I'm just that bitchy girl from school," she laughed, shaking her head. He smirked and swooped in for a kiss.

"You aren't that bitchy girl from school to me. Not anymore, at least. You're my girlfriend named Meredith and I love you," he stated, and she looked up at him with a smile.

"I love you too," she whispered, still hardly daring to say it lest it not be true. But it was, and falling in love with Derek was the best thing that she had ever experienced up until now.

* * *

They stayed in his bedroom, cuddling and watching movies until it was time for dinner, when she had to be with the entire family, which made her anxious beyond belief. She took her seat between Derek and Amelia and tried to settle the nerves in her stomach as the meal began.

She really had nothing to worry about; the Shepherd's adored her, something which surprised her, but she felt herself easing up as they ate and the sisters questioned her and she felt herself smiling more and more, Derek squeezing her hand under the table.

Once dinner was over, Meredith was quick to help clear the table and help with the dishes, getting to know Derek's sisters better. They were so nice, his family was so charming and perfect, she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Carolyn noticed but didn't pester her about it; she had an inkling about what the tears meant. Meredith had never had a real Thanksgiving, let alone a Christmas or a birthday that she could even remember and she knew how much this meant to her. She watched her all night, the way she interacted with everyone including Derek, and she couldn't think of a more perfect person for Derek. If only she knew how she used to act before she had met him.

Meredith stayed late into the night, not even realizing how late it had gotten. She looked at her phone at 10:30 and her eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh, I feel terrible for overstaying!" she apologized, jumping up from the couch. Derek jumped up with her and wrapped his arms around her as she said goodbye to his sisters. When she got to Carolyn she wrapped her in a giant hug.

"Thank you for an amazing holiday," she smiled, brushing her bangs out of her face. Carolyn hugged her back tightly with a smile.

"Of course, Meredith, you're always welcome here. Don't ever forget that." Meredith smiled as Derek grabbed her hand, getting her coat for her as she stood by the front door. Old school pictures of all five kids lined the hallway and she giggled at Derek as a kid, his curly hair wild. He came back and she slid into the wool coat, buttoning it up, before standing on her tip toes and locking him in a kiss.

"Thank you, for my first Thanksgiving ever," she smiled and he cupped her chin, drawing her into a long kiss by the front door, away from his family.

"Now I can't wait for Christmas," he teased her, and she giggled.

"I love you," she whispered giddily.

"I love you too," his words tickling her ear, warming her up as she slid out the front door and dashed through the rain to her car. Once in the drivers seat she sat back and sighed happily. Maybe the holidays this year wouldn't suck the way they usually did, she thought, as she put on a song and started the drive home.

* * *

 **Poor Meredith had her first ever Thanksgiving with all the Shepherd sisters! But she survived ;) Don't know what's up next but I hope you like it!**


	12. Open Your Eyes

Meredith was crushed when, the day after Christmas, her mother announced that she had a medical conference in Mexico to go to, and Meredith was going to her

"But mom, I don't want to," she protested over dinner, stabbing her fork in the air before gulping her water. Never before had Ellis taken Meredith with her on a conference before, why would she do so now?

"You're coming. Next year you'll be away at school and I'll never see you."

"You don't see me now. You haven't seen me for 18 years. What's with the sudden interest?" she whined. She wanted out of this badly; all she wanted was an uninterrupted week with Derek, and New Years Eve with him, and kissing him under the stars at midnight.

"Because you're my daughter, and that's the end of it," she said, and Meredith sat back with a pout.

"But mom, I have plans, ones that don't involve throwing a massive party and trashing the house," she begged, and Ellis glanced at her again. She was used to Meredith defying her; she had her entire life, but she could tell she really didn't want to go.

"Meredith, you always want to go to Mexico," she pointed out, and Meredith shook her head slightly and bit her lip. She couldn't tell her mother there was a boy involved this time, she would just say something nasty about her being unfocused.

"Well this time I don't," she countered, dropping her fork again.

"I was thinking we could do something fun together," Ellis tried, and Meredith looked up, scowling.

"Since when have you ever wanted to do something fun with me? And since when would you ever have time to do something fun while at a boring medical conference? I'm not going with you and that's final," she said, shoving back from the table and storming upstairs. She wasn't going and that was final, she thought, wanting to rip her hair out as she stormed around her room, trying to find something to wear to Derek's house.

* * *

Later that night Meredith showed up at Derek's with a pout on her face and he immediately pulled her in the front door and upstairs to his bedroom. She laid back on his bed in her coat, her long hair fanned around her head.

"What's wrong Mer?" he asked her, laying down next to her and pulling her close, taking off her coat. She wore a pale blue chiffon shirt underneath with a matching blue tank top, wrinkling her nose.

"My mom wants to drag me to Mexico for the rest of break and I put up a fight. She doesn't know why I want to stay but I told her I'm not leaving," she said, her voice breaking a bit. She watched as Derek's face fell and she closed her eyes.

"I told her I wouldn't go, it took awhile before she seemed to accept it but I just. I won't go. Winter break is our time to finally be alone and have fun without school taking up half the day and she's trying to take that away," she pouted as he ran his fingers through her hair, kissing her forehead and pulling her closer.

"Shhh, if she makes you go it's not the end of the world, we have spring break, and then summer, and then…"

And then we're going to two different schools," she whispered. Their schools weren't far apart, they were close enough for weekend visits, but she wouldn't be seeing him him every day and the thought paralyzed her. She wasn't sure when she had become so dependent on Derek and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. Suddenly she knew, the stakes for her were so much higher than she had ever thought possible.

"Don't think about that, Mer. We'll see each other every weekend, and holiday, and whenever we can because that's what you do when you love someone," he told her, gently kissing her. She curled up in his chest, letting tears form in her eyes that she refused to let fall – she still needed to be stronger than that.

* * *

The next morning Meredith slept in late – the entire time she had been waiting for her mother to wake her up and force her to start packing, but when she woke up around 11, the house was quiet. She went downstairs and ran into one of the housekeepers.

"Is my mother home?" she asked her, and the woman – Helena – smiled.

"No, Mrs. Grey left this morning for Mexico," she assured Meredith, and Meredith smiled, running back upstairs to her room, taking a long shower and taking her time to do her hair and makeup before texting Derek.

'Mom left me at home and went to Mexico – stealing you away and finally showing you Seattle' she said with a smile. He responded with a smiley face and an exclamation point, and she got busy getting dressed in something warm – Seattle had mild winters but she knew she'd be outside all day in the damp and cold and didn't want to freeze. She pulled on black leggings with Uggs and her cozy grey Dartmouth hoodie she'd snagged once she'd send in her admissions paperwork, before grabbing her phone off her bed and heading downstairs.

Once she was in the kitchen she snagged a granola bar from the pantry with a bottle of water and headed for the front door, grabbing her winter coat on her way out to the car. It was steadily raining and overcast but it didn't phase her as she drove the ten minutes to Derek's house, parking behind Lizzie's car and scrambling to the front door. It was already 12:30, although really since it was raining, they would have nicer views from the space needle at night.

Knocking on the door with a smile, Amelia answered the door, still in her pajamas.

"Hey Mer, Derek's still getting ready," she smiled. Her hair was tousled and her eyes were filled with sleep and Meredith giggled a little bit as she headed towards the sweeping staircase and towards Derek's room.

"Knock knock!" she smiled, pushing the door open. He was in the middle of changing his shirt, figuring out what to wear and he smiled when she came in the room.

"Hey gorgeous. I must say, I'm pretty glad your mom abandoned you for Mexico," he teased her. She rolled her eyes as she sat on the edge of his unmade bed, crossing her legs.

"I hate the word abandoned. That's a feeling. Let's go with…left without me because I begged. Yes, I like that," she smirked, leaning back on her hands as he finished getting dressed, before heading over to her and kissing her gently on the lips.

"I'm very very glad she left without you because now we have all this time together," he smiled, and she smiled back.

"You should be, especially cause I have a fantastic New Years party in the works. I kind of told her I wouldn't throw any parties but um, I lied?" she said sweetly and innocently. He just laughed at her and shook his head.

"Oh Mer, you will never be tamed," he teased her as she shrugged a bit.

"I might've been at some point if she'd ever stepped up and been a mother. But I don't want to dwell on things like that today, we're going to have fun and I'm going to pretend I'm not screwed up," she smirked, reaching up and wrapping her braid up in a bun. He couldn't help but smile at her optimism, taking her hand and pulling her up from the bed.

"Then let's go on my late but very awesome tour of Seattle," he grinned as they headed out to her car, Derek grabbing a jacket on the way out.

* * *

Meredith parked her car in a garage downtown and they were off. Their first destination was Pike Place Fish Market because it was one of the most famous places in Seattle both for it's fish and for it's craziness. She knew Derek well though and knew he loved fishing and fish, so as they walked through the market he was amazed.

"You of all people come here?" he asked her, and she laughed.

"I'm much less of a princess than the rest of the world thinks, you know," she teased him, and it was true. Most of it was a front for her classmates; underneath the bitchy, princess act she was sweet and sensitive and lived a fairy normal life. In her mothers huge mansion. With access to literally everything. Okay, so she was a little bit of a spoiled princess who had the world at her fingertips and endless money, but still, she was down to earth and nothing phased her. She had seen it all and been through it all with either classmates or her life-ruining her parents.

"My point is, when I'm down, I like to come here, because I like fish – in the sense of eating them, and they have the best fish here, and they have my other favorite place here," she smirked leading him to the first ever Starbucks, which made him laugh.

"How did I know this is where you'd be taking me after?" he laughed, sweeping her up in a kiss as they got in line. She couldn't help but burst into laughter against his lips, standing on her tip-toes before ordering coffee for both of them once they reached the front of the line.

"Hey, we're in Seattle, it's what you do," she grinned as they exited Starbucks and stood on the street, freezing in the drizzling rain. She was debating where to go as she pulled the hood of her coat up, savoring the warmth and taste of her coffee as her gloved hand slid into his and gave his hand a squeeze. He looked down at her and for the millionth time since September, wondered how he had managed to end up with her. She was perfect.

"Mmmm, Seattle Center is next, but I'm sadistic and we're walking everywhere," she smirked as they headed in the next direction. It was close to Seattle Grace Hospital, where their mothers worked, and Meredith made a face as they passed the hospital to get to Seattle Center. Inside always varied, but the pointed to the Space Needle with a smile.

"Come on!" she grinned, with new energy from her coffee, and in a few minutes they were up at the top of the needle and she was pointing out landmarks to him and smiling. He stood behind her with his arms around her tightly as she spoke, soaking in her words; she was so excited to show him around his new home.

"And one day, in the summer," she said, dragging him over to the other side of the needle, pointing to Mt. Rainier with a smile, "We'll climb the mountain before we move to the east coast," she said softly, reaching up and locking him in a tender kiss.

* * *

Next they were taking an uber to Alki Beach, and it was unlike any beach Derek had ever been on. It was rocky with few strips of sand, and within the rocks were pieces of sea glass glistening inbetween. Waves rolled into the shore and Meredith amused herself by running in the foamy surf, and he amused himself by taking photos and videos of her. She was beautiful, shrieking as a wave soaked the toes of her Uggs and she ran back to him with a smile.

"So I gave you my mini tour of Seattle, what did you think?" she laughed, knowing it had been lame, but it was cold and wet outside and she knew both of them were miserable. Slipping her arms around him, he picked her up and spun her around with a smile.

"It was perfect. Mom said we're going back to NYC for Easter, maybe you can come and I can give you a tour of my home," he smiled, nuzzling her nose. She smiled and looked up at him.

"Really? I would love that," she said breathlessly, the two of them heading back to the road to get a cab back to her car, and then go back to her house.

* * *

Once they were back at her house, they threw their wet clothes in the dryer – Derek had been at her house enough times to have extra clothes there, and she put on a new pair of leggings and a tank top, laying back on her bed, tugging him back with her.

"Come here," she said, needy, pulling him close to her, and he was happy to oblige as she locked him in a kiss, her hands pulling his shirt over his head. They'd gotten that far before, but as his hands worked on getting her own shirt off, she had to quell her panic. She'd found herself in that position way too many times before pulling back and getting dressed, but this was Derek, she knew she was safe. She took a few deep breaths and let him take her shirt off, his hands running over her breasts still encased in a bra.

"You're gorgeous," he told her as she closed her eyes, opening them after a moment and locking him in another kiss. She wanted this. She was ready for this.

Moving closer to him she somehow got his pants off, and then hers were off, and in no time at all they were naked and exploring each other. The door was locked and Meredith's mind was in an entirely different place: she was focused on Derek and Derek alone, and the things he was doing to her…she was almost gone.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he whispered in her ear, his words tickling her and she smiled, filled with pleasure as she answered with a small moan.

"Yes, I'm ready," she whispered to him, and from there she didn't remember much but the overwhelming desire to scream at the top of her lungs.

* * *

Meredith Grey was no longer a virgin. She kept repeating it to herself as she lay in Derek's arms in her bed, breathing slowly but surely. She was tired and hurt a little bit, but she had never felt so sure of herself in her entire life.

Derek nudged her and she came back to life, turning her head and touching his cheek with a smile, kissing him full on the lips.

"I love you," she smiled, looking into his eyes, and he looked right back with adoration on his face.

"I love you too, Mer. More than you know," he promised her, kissing down her jaw and down her chest. Closing her eyes she tried to even her breathing as they started round two.

* * *

 **Sooo Derek took Meredith's virginity! No more inappropriate almost-hook ups for her! It's love! And they're definitely not breaking up even though they're going to separate colleges ;)**


	13. Love Story

The rest of break took off without a hitch, especially with Ellis out of the country. The pair mostly hung out at Meredith's house where they wouldn't be bothered, watching movies and TV shows but more often than not, exploring each other inside and out. They were both 18 and living in the moment, knowing that graduation was in less than six months. They had all summer together but at the same time Meredith was dreading it, knowing that they'd be torn apart. She kept reminding herself that Bowdoin was only three hours away and she could easily get there on a Friday and leave Sunday night or vice-versa but it still made her pouty.

New Years Eve came up fast, and Meredith found herself rushing around the house putting finishing touches on her party. She'd thrown one every year since 6th grade, the intensity and formality increasing every year. Back when they were all eleven it had been fun and games, swimming around and seeing who could stay up the latest; at eighteen it was who could drink the most, who could dress the nicest, basically who could be more over the top. Meredith was less interested in that though than throwing the best party, however, knowing that the next time they convened for New Years, they'd have tasted the college scene and be spoiled by that.

The food was ready, everything had been decorated to her liking by the staff, and it was only 6 pm – all she had to do was get herself ready. Taking a long shower, she got herself ready for the party. She'd decided to do a masquerade theme this year for fun, and soon enough she could hear her friends and the people she went to school with filling her house, milling around in elaborate gowns and masks. She was still getting ready, however, curling her hair and somehow managing to do an elaborate updo by herself. Once she was ready, she had one of the housekeepers help her into her gown – it was blush colored and delicate, beaded and cascading towards the floor in layers of tulle, strapless and fitting her perfectly. Adding pearl earrings, a necklace, and bracelet, and slipping her feet into strappy heels, she looked at herself in the mirror with a small sigh. She was going to have to step it up in time for prom.

She picked up a mask off of her bed that was the same color as her gown, with lace and beading on it that matched her gown, before she left her room and headed down the winding staircase, fading into the ground of guests to find Derek. She found him and Amelia in the living room with Mark and Addison and she floated over to them with a smile, sliding her hand into Derek's. He turned towards her, slowly taking all of her in, from her mask down to her palest pink gown that touched the floor, her breasts nudging upward in the strapless gown. He grabbed her hands and pulled her away with a smile, pushing away her mask.

"You look absolutely incredible," he grinned and she giggled as he took her hands in his, kissing both of them.

"You look like a princess," he declared, spinning her around slowly and she couldn't stop giggling. There wasn't an ounce of alcohol in her, she wasn't sure she even wanted any, but she could tell the night was going to be amazing.

* * *

The party was going well; basically everyone from school was there, right down to the eighth graders. Meredith was pleased with herself for throwing an amazing party like always; the alcohol was flowing, her mother's staff keeping everyone fed. They hated when Meredith threw parties like this but they were kept silent, even though Ellis found out anyway. It wasn't like she did anything to retaliate on her. Music was blasting throughout the bottom floor of the house and Meredith was dancing with Derek, on cloud nine. Amelia had fallen into talking to Owen and Meredith glanced at them from time to time, feeling protective, but most of her focus was on Derek.

"Have I told you how much I love you tonight?" she smiled, running her fingers through his hair and bringing his mouth to hers, locking him in a kiss. She'd had at least a bottle or two of champagne at this point and felt like she was floating. Her shoes were no longer killing her, her dress wasn't sticking her or poking her; she felt comfortable as Derek kissed her back, pulling her close to him. She melted in his arms, wishing the moment could last forever as she sighed, knowing she had never been this happy before, wishing she could capture the entire night in a bottle and keep it next to her bed for whenever she wanted to relive it.

Smirking, Derek pulled out his phone to take a picture of the two of them, and Meredith curled up to his chest, smiling brightly as she giggled, Derek snapping the photo and drawing her in for another kiss. He noticed the time on his phone and grabbed her hand, snatching two flutes of champagne off a passing tray.

"Where are we going?" she giggled, tripping on her heels, feeling like Cinderella.

"It's almost midnight and if I remember correctly the princess has a balcony," he smiled, leading her up the wide staircase. She hitched up her gown and followed him down the long hallway and to her bedroom. It was 11:55; they had five minutes. He led her to the doors and pushed them open, heading outside. For once, it wasn't raining and the sky was clear and Meredith couldn't help but smile at how perfect her life was turning out to be for a change.

She leaned against the railing and looked up at the sky, pleasantly tipsy, tipping her head back.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he smiled, keeping an eye on the time.

"Just thinking about how different my life is because of you," she said softly, turning to him with a smile. It was 11:59 and she picked up one of the flutes of champagne, smiling and clinking her glass with his.

"To the future, to a new year. To us, and getting the heck out of here," she giggled, leaning in close to him.

"To love," she smiled, taking a sip of her champagne before fireworks started all over the city and their lips collided.

* * *

Long after the party had ended, Meredith found herself painfully sober in her TV room with Derek, Amelia, Mark, Addison, Callie, Arizona, and a few more members of her 'inner circle'. Gowns and suits had been exchanged for pajamas, and Meredith was snuggled up on the couch with Derek in a Dartmouth shirt and black shorts, her hair still done up in curls and her makeup on. She couldn't help but notice that Amelia had gravitated more towards Mark and she turned a blind eye towards it – Derek could handle that if he wanted to.

"So, Mer. We all want to know. Have you guys had sex yet?" Meredith pretended to look offended for a second before grinning, looking at Derek.

"That's for us to know and you bitches to desperately wish you knew," she smirked, quirking an eyebrow and laying her head on Derek's shoulder before dissolving into giggles. She had to admit, she was going to miss her squad next year, knowing that they were all going in different directions. Mark had been accepted early decision to Brown, Addison was going to Yale, and Callie and Arizona hadn't decided yet. Izzie and April were vague about where they were going and the rest of the guys weren't nearly as put together as Mark and Derek were, but Meredith looked around the room and smiled, knowing this time next year they'd all be in the same exact spot trading stories about college while on winter break.

* * *

 **I'm so bummed reviews are STILL down! I have a bunch waiting on other stories that I can't read and it's driving me insane! I hope you guys liked this chapter, it was fun writing tipsy Meredith hahaha. Also, it was fun looking up Mark on Wikipedia and finding that his middle name is Everett because I don't remember that EVER being on the show! Happy reading!**


	14. Let's Dance

Going back to school after the new year was hell. All of the seniors had severe senioritis, especially those who already knew where they were going. Meredith loathed getting up and going to school every day, even though she now had a free period in the morning and at the end of the day – she still had AP tests to look forward to. Derek was what made it worth it, though, and they had scheduled their classes together in order to make the days bearable, rushing outside whenever they could for fresh air, despite the constant downpours and dreary days. Meredith had New England in her sights and couldn't wait to get to the east coast – she and all their friends were renting a house in Rhode Island for the summer and they couldn't wait for it. It was their last hurrah before splitting ways before college, and coming back together at holidays.

January melted into February, which gave way to March, which was one unrelenting rainstorm into another. Meredith felt she was doomed to spend the rest of her life in Seattle soaking wet as she climbed in the front seat of Derek's car, brushing herself off.

"Can it just be June and can we be in Newport?" she pouting, running her fingers through her damp hair, just from the run she'd done from her front door to the car. He leaned over and gave her a tender kiss which she enjoyed, sighing slightly.

"I hate it too, it rains in New York like this but it's not constantly damp. By now the flowers would be starting to come out and I'd be laying out in Central Park," he smiled, remembering the trek from Trinity to Central Park during his years there; when he was younger he'd gone to Dalton and they'd still low-key hang out in Central Park.

"Tell me more about New York, I've only been once," she said, and his eyes went once.

"You have so much in this world, and you've only been to NYC once!?" he exclaimed as they drove to school. She had to laugh, shrugging her shoulders.

"I was little, under five. I went with my mom and nanny because my mom had a surgery at Mount Sinai and my nanny begged to take me along. I remember going to the Plaza and wanting to be Eloise, and the boutique underneath, and being very impressed by 5th Avenue and all of its huge stores. My mom claims that's where my expensive taste started, I insisted on wearing nothing but designer since then," she said with a roll of her eyes, tracing a solitary raindrop on her window.

"She says I'm just a spoiled brat and I don't deserve anything in the world," she said suddenly.

"She doesn't know I'm going to Dartmouth. I hand her checks and she signs them, I tell her I need to pay for something and she hands me her credit card. I don't exist to her," she said, before turning back to him with a shrug. It always tugged on his heart when she said things like that and he sighed lightly.

"If it makes you feel any better, my mom considers you one of her own," he said with a small smile. It definitely made her feel better, knowing that tidbit, and she sat back in her seat, a smile starting to tease on her lips as they pulled into the parking lot. She sighed and pulled her coat around her, grabbing her messenger bag and throwing it over her shoulder as they headed into the building, hand in hand towards their first class.

* * *

AP US History could have been the best class in the history of their high school years, but it was taught by the most boring teacher in the entire world. Meredith couldn't stop shuffling her feet around or tapping her pencil on her textbook instead of taking notes. Derek sat at the desk beside her, just as bored out of his mind and he sighed. AP European history was so much more interesting, with battles and the plague and so many philosophers to remember and read about – it was her favorite subject besides AP Chem. When the bell finally ran, Meredith sprang out of her chair so fast it was like she had been barely sitting in it. Derek rushed out after her, laughing slightly.

"You hate it that bad?" he smirked, following her to her locked where she exchanged one heavy textbook for another.

"Well it would be more interesting if we didn't have a fossil for a teacher. I mean he was probably at the Revolution," she snarked, grabbing Plato's Republic, which they were reading in AP Humanities. Her schedule was all AP, all the time. Derek understood her stress levels, which were way beyond the norm for an 18 year old high school student, but Meredith was trying to live up to her mother's impossible standards whether she realized she was trying or not. She had so much pressure on her shoulders but she was nailing it – she had straight A's and a 4.0 GPA, a first class ticket to Dartmouth, and she was probably going to end up valedictorian of their class the way she was going.

"Mer, slow down," he told her, before she looked up from shoving books into her back, taking a deep breath. She looked up and him and blinked a few times.

"I can't slow down, or else I'm literally going to fly off the face of the earth," she said, she said, shoving another book in her back and slamming her locker, before taking his hand and dragging him off to Humanities where they always had a highly intellectual discussion about philosiphers, which Meredith had an extreme passion for.

* * *

Friday came around, and for once it wasn't raining, just damp. After school, Meredith, Derek, and their friends took the sunny afternoon to hang out on the back fields like usual. Meredith was smiling again, the stress of the week behind her, but she was still tense. Derek could feel it as he held her close to him, snuggling her inside of his coat.

"Mer, we should go prom gown shopping this weekend," Addie said, from her own place inside Mark's coat. She looked over at her with a small smile. Prom. That thing at the end of May to signify the beginning of the end. She looked around at her group of friends, at the people she'd known since kindergarten, besides Amelia and Derek, and she felt tears springing to her eyes that she hastily wiped away before anyone noticed. She refused to be a sentimental freak about the end of high school and missing her friends.

"We should," she said with a smile, straightening out her coat and tugging up her grey tights, tossing back her hair. Prom wasn't for another two months but she wanted the best dress, she wanted a knockout of a gown that swept Derek off his feet and made him wanting more, more, more of her. Always more.

"What do you say ladies? Shopping downtown at the boutiques?" she said, cracking a smile, trying to keep her tone calm and collected in front of everyone. All the girls nodded and Meredith smiled, standing up and brushing herself off.

"It's settled then. I'll pick up April, Amelia, Izzie, and Leah, and Addison can get Callie, Arizona, and Jo, and we'll meet up," she said with a smile as Derek stood up and slid his arm around her waist. She flipped her hair out and smiled at the group, waving goodbye as she locked Derek in a kiss, the two of them walking to the parking lot to head to her house.

* * *

The weekend came way too fast, and Meredith found herself stumbling out of bed and into a dress and tights, shoving her feet into her favorite pair of heeled ankle boots. Fingers threated through her hair into something manageable as she did her makeup, before getting frustrated with her hair and tying it into a bun, throwing a long and loose cardigan over her dress. Studying herself in her floor length mirror, she shrugged her shoulders and swiped on some lip gloss before calling it a day, grabbing her bag and phone and heading downstairs. Picking up April, Izzie, and Leah wasn't a problem, and soon the four girls were meeting up with the other four and heading towards The Shops at the Bravern, which held a Neiman Marcus and Jimmy Choo, among other stores. Meredith stepped into the formalwear section and smiled; she was in her element.

"Divide and conquer, ladies," she smirked, and the eight girls scattered throughout the floor, looking for the perfect gown. Meredith wasn't sure what she wanted as she browsed through the racks, chewing on her lips. She had loved her New Years gown, but she knew she needed to top that – and it had been pretty spectacular. Over the course of a half hour, she selected a few gowns and headed to a fitting room to see how they looked, rejecting gown after gown until she came to the last one. Zipping it up the back, she turned to look at herself in the three way mirror and her breath caught in her throat. It was definitely **the** dress, the one that would take Derek's breath away, and she smiled, running her hands down the soft silk of the gown. Yes, this was perfect. In a flash she was back in her clothes and rushing to ring up her gown, wanting to keep it a secret from everyone else.

By the time her friends had chosen, she was sitting on a chaise lounge, her gown in a garment bag inside a shopping back and she was thinking about shoes to go with it, pretty pleased with herself.

"So what did you end up with, Mer?" April asked, and she looked up with a smile.

"It's a surprise, I don't want anyone to know about it until we're getting ready in my room," she grinned coyly. April laughed and shook back her ginger hair.

"Oh fine, you always do that, I'm used to it by now. My gown is a blue halter with ruffles, I figure it'll highlight my eyes and hair, Jackson will like it," she smiled, as the rest of their friends filtered out of the fitting rooms and paid for their gowns, all of them mostly secretive, before they headed to get shoes. Meredith ended up with a sparkly pale gold stiletto that she loved, even though they'd be hidden underneath her gown all night. With all the shopping finished, Meredith looked at her friends.

"Should we go to lunch, girls?" she grinned, and they all brought their things back to the cars before heading out to lunch at their favorite restaurant, one they'd been going to for years.

* * *

Meredith was looking forward to prom so much, even though she knew that right after it was the countdown to graduation. As class president Meredith send out the okay for campaigning for prom king and queen to start – and so she started her aggressive campaign. She had been junior prom queen, and she was determined for her and Derek to be king and queen of senior prom. She made posters and hung them up all over the school, she passed out fliers in the halls, and she, along with everyone else who was campaigning, made a short video that aired with the rest of the announcements on the school tv station during homeroom. She was the most popular girl in school, but still, she was freaked that she wouldn't win.

* * *

Prom approached in seemingly no time at all, and all of the seniors had half a day. Meredith left Derek with a kiss after school, promising him a knockout later. She drove straight to the salon to get her hair done, glad that for once it was sunny and slightly warm for a pretty May afternoon. Sitting in the chair at the salon, she told her hair stylist to have fun with her long, brown-blonde hair, and she closed her eyes and let her work her magic.

"All done, Miss Grey," her stylist said, and Meredith opened her eyes, gazing at her hair in the mirror. It was truly a work of art. On one side, a thick braid headed back into a twist of curls, small tendrils artfully falling out, curling towards her neck. The other side just went straight back into the curls; she wanted to touch it but she knew better. It was absolutely stunning.

"Oh Stella, you outdid yourself this time," she grinned, standing up and hugging her stylist, handing her a hefty tip before heading to the front desk to pay. Afterwards she headed home; it was around 3PM and the girls were coming over at 4:30 for makeup, drinks, and getting dressed. The boys would be there at 6 for photos and the limo was coming at 7. Prom started at 8.

Meredith lounged around for an hour and a half, playing games on her phone and updating her social media. After awhile she could hear the doorbell ring, and footsteps on the stairs before Addison burst into her bedroom, her dress in its bag hanging over her arm.

"Holy shit your hair looks amazing!" she said, as Meredith looked up with a smile.

"Thank you, I told her to just have some fun and this is what she came up with," she smiled, shrugging her shoulders and looking at her pedicure, before looking back up as more of their friends entered the room. Amelia came in last, her hair swept up in a twist to the side, her face framed by loose hair. Even though she was only 14 and in 8th grade, Owen had asked her to prom and she seemed pretty pleased with herself to be going.

"Okay, let's get this party started. There's champagne in the other room and I assume you all brought your makeup and things to sleep over," she smiled, as everyone spread out to get ready. Mer and Amelia took over the bathroom, Meredith helping her do her makeup to perfection. When it was time for everyone to get in their gowns, Meredith stepped into her walk-in closet and wouldn't come out until she was dressed.

She stood in front of the gown and took in the beauty. It was a deep red color, with off the shoulder straps and a sweetheart neckline that showed just enough cleavage without being inappropriate. It hugged every single one of her curves until her hips, where it flared out ballgown/mermaid style. That wasn't even her favorite part though; on the skirt there was a decorative part made of tulle with a single silk rose making the gown flare more, and Meredith was in love. She managed to zip it up herself and strap on her shoes, looking at herself in the mirror. Around her neck she wore a necklace she borrowed from her mother of diamonds set in gold, with a pair of matching earrings, and a few gold bangles on her left wrist, and with that she was ready. Unlocking the closet door she smiled, stepping back into her bedroom, watching her friends jaws drop.

"Holy crap, Mer," Izzie said, as Addison's eyes grew wide and April perched on the edge of the bed. Amelia only smiled brightly, looking pleased in her long black halter dress.

"Derek is going to flip. Out. Seriously. You look like a princess," she proclaimed, clapping lightly and giggling.

"And that is why I'm the queen," she grinned, hands on her hips.

* * *

It seemed like forever, but the guys finally arrived with their parents, and eventually the girls parents arrived. For once in her life, Ellis was actually around for Meredith, surprising everyone. The girls headed downstairs and as Meredith was going that way, Ellis grabbed her.

"Mereidth, I have something for you," she said, dragging her daughter down the hall to her bedroom. Meredith sighed, thinking it would be something boring as she stood in the doorway to the massive master bedroom, but Ellis pulled something from a jewelry box and held it out to Meredith. It was a small, gold comb, the kind to ornament a hairstyle, studded with diamonds. Meredith reached out to touch it lightly before Ellis smiled.

"Turn around, I'll put it in."

"But mom.." she said, biting her lip.

"Turn around. I wore it on my wedding day, your grandmother gave it to me, and it was your great grandmother's, and it's been passed down on my side of the family." She tucked it onto the plain side of Meredith's hairstyle before Mer turned around.

"But it's not my wedding day," she started, and Ellis shushed her.

"No it's not, but you're going away all summer, and then you're going to Dartmouth for 8 years, and then who knows where you'll end up for your residency? I don't know when I'll ever see you again." Tears sprang to her eyes. She actually did care. After a moment she leaned forward and hugged Ellis.

"I love you mom," she said, trying not to cry and mess up her makeup.

"I love you too, Meredith, don't forget that."

* * *

Meredith was late getting downstairs and when she finally stumbled down the stairs she could hear a collective gasp before she looked up. Derek was at the bottom of the stairs and she smiled brightly, slipping her hand into his. He looked completely floored and she snuck a peek at Amelia, who just giggled and rolled her eyes.

"What?" she asked him, pursing her red lips together. He leaned down and kissed her, pulling her closer, much to the delight of the row of parents taking photos, his mother included.

"You are the most beautiful person I have ever met, and you continue to stun me," he smiled, an arm wrapped around her waist as he steered her into the long line of friends for photos. She hated the stereotypical photos but it was fun just the same as they slipped in next to Amelia and Owen for photos. Eventually the limo arrived and they all piled in, the girls slightly tipsy from the champagne they had, dresses spilling over onto each other and the guys laps, everyone laughing and excited for the prom, which was to be held at The Great Hall at Union Station. It was perfect and gorgeous and Meredith was excited. Their senior class was small and the event space was huge – it was perfection. Half of their class was there already and they all piled out of the limo and into the building, where music was already playing. There were too many of them to sit at one table so they had divided themselves into two; Derek, Meredith, Amelia, Owen, Addison, Mark, and Izzie and Alex sat at one table, while the rest sat at one right next to it. It took a lot to impress Meredith, and she was impressed at the lengths their school had gone to to make their senior prom special.

Dinner came first, and during it everyone went around, talking and laughing, bringing up memories of all the years they'd had together. It was bittersweet, knowing graduation was in two weeks, but Meredith laughed along with everyone, having fun, always looking forward.

Once dinner was finished, the music abruptly changed into dance music and she giggled, standing up and grabbing Derek's hand.

"Cinderella wants to dance," she teased him, as he followed her onto the dance floor, which was already filled with their peers. He always told her he didn't dance, but as she moved her body she noticed he wasn't bad at it. Soon they were surrounded by their friends and Meredith threw her head back, knowing that this moment wouldn't last forever – she was only eighteen once and she knew she needed to savor this, remember this, remember how it felt to be young and carefree.

* * *

They all danced for hours, the clock ticking at the minutes, until the DJ lowered the volume of the music.

"I have a very important announcement to make, it's time to announce King and Queen! Our nominees for queen are Meredith Grey, April Kepner, Addison Montgomery, Arizona Robbins, and Isobel Stevens! Our nominees for king are Jackson Avery, Owen Hunt, Alex Karev, Derek Shepherd, and Mark Sloan!" Meredith took a deep breath, sucking in a lot of air and holding it in. She knew that no one at Dartmouth would give a crap if she was prom queen, it didn't matter in life if she had been popular in life or not, but it mattered to HER. In that moment she didn't know why she cared so much, she had everything she wanted as Derek held her to his chest.

"Your senior prom queen is…Miss Meredith Grey!" he announced, and the roar of the small crowd was deafening as Meredith's eyes went wide. As much of a bitch she was, they actually liked her. She felt herself leaving Dereks arms and walking up to the stage where their headmaster set a tiara in her hair and she turned out to the crowd with a wide smile. She could see Derek and her friends clapping and she clasped her hands in front of her, blushing.

"Alright guys, here it is. Your senior prom king is…Derek Shepherd!" The crowd was just as loud for him and Meredith found herself screaming as Derek joined her at the stage, a crown set on his head and she giggled, his hand finding hers as they raised them in the air. It was too perfect, the two of them as king and queen, such a contrast from the beginning of the year, and Meredith looked up at him and smiled. She knew they were expected to dance alone and Derek led her off the stage to the middle of the dance floor, her gown sweeping behind her and around her ankles. One of her favorite songs, Long Live by Taylor Swift, started playing as he took her by the waist and they danced together. Nothing could wipe the smile off her face and she was glad as she spotted Addison filming it on her phone. When the song was over, everyone clapped and Derek pulled her close, kissing her in front of everything and she closed her eyes, breathing in the moment. It was just one more thing that she tucked away in her memory of her last days in high school.

* * *

Prom lasted until one in the morning; there was an after-prom at their school but Meredith and her friends headed back to her house for a sleepover, boys included. They piled into Meredith's tv room with blankets and pillows, crowding the room from top to bottom, but Meredith didn't care as she settled into Derek's lap, dressed in boxers and a t-shirt, her hair still done up and her tiara still on. She was snuggled up to his chest and he was lazily drawing patterns up and down her back. She didn't want to sleep but she was comfortable right where she was, with Pitch Perfect playing on the tv and everyone around her having a good time. That was the way she wanted to remember this night.

After while they started to talk about college, and where they were all going. Most of them were escaping to the east coast and the Ivies, but Izzie was staying in Seattle, April was going to University of Michigan, Leah was heading to Stanford, and so on. Their little group was going their separate ways and after years of knowing most of them, it broke her heart. But right here and right now they were together, and they still had graduation and the entire summer together. Closing her eyes, she let herself relax against Derek, more than pleased with how the night had gone. In her eyes, they would always be king and queen.

* * *

 **I think this is the longest chapter I've written for ANY of my stories! Once I started writing it just flowed and I loved it! Next chapter is graduation and I'm about to start writing it so get those tissues! :***


	15. Graduation

Meredith couldn't believe they had made it to graduation. A week ago she and her friends had all gone shopping for the requisite white dresses, and now she was standing in her bedroom, getting ready for the graduation ceremony. She had been elected valedictorian in a landslide; everyone knew she would be it. She was class president, member of so many clubs, prom queen, and she had been for so many years. She had seen it coming, but as she looked down at her speech written on a piece of notebook paper, she was nervous she would forget it.

AP tests had come and gone and she'd gotten her scores in the mail. 5's on everything, so she could relax and enjoy the college credit she was getting from the tireless work she had completed and loathed so much. Sighing after a moment, she got out of her bed and heading into the shower, making sure it was hot and steamy, enough to make her skin red. She was dreading every moment of this day.

After her shower she took her time with her hair, blowing it dry and straightening it so it hung halfway down her back. Next came her makeup, carefully but subtly applied, like it almost wasn't there, wanting to look as natural as possible. Lipstick and gloss would be applied last, right before she stepped out of the car.

Heading back into her bedroom she stopped in front of her closet door, where her dress hung. She had a sleeveless lace dress that hit mid-thigh, and she truly loved the dress, just not what it represented. Sighing, she slipped into the dress and zipped herself up, before putting on her white t-strap Louboutins. Standing up from the bed she studied herself in the mirror from all angles, but she didn't need to; she looked perfect. Heading to her jewelry box she searched for a few minutes before she found what she was looking for, fastening pearls around her neck and wrist, and a set of pearl earrings into her pierced ears. Staring into the mirror above her dresser, she wrinkled her nose, but she knew she was ready.

Grabbing her white cap and gown off her bed, along with her honors cord and tassel, she headed out of her bedroom, nervously chewing on her lips, tossing her phone and lip gloss into a clutch along with her speech.

"Mom?" she called down the long hallway, her voice echoing. Ellis popped out of her own bedroom and took in the sight of her almost-an-adult daughter. In a few hours she would be an adult.

"You look beautiful. Are you ready?" Meredith nodded, before heading down the staircase and out to her mother's car, feeling more than indifferent about the day.

* * *

Upon arriving at school, Meredith broke off from Ellis, offering her a small smile, heading over to where the students had to gather. She huddled next to Addison, feeling like she was going crazy. She'd been waiting for this day all year; why was she suddenly upset and anxious about it? She felt withdrawn from everyone, hugging her arms to her chest before suddenly she felt Derek pulling her to him and she smiled, turning around and looking up at him.

"Hey," she whispered, and he held her closer.

"Hey. Are you okay?" he asked, looking concerned.

"I…don't know. I thought this day would be glorious. We're graduating, you know? We're getting out in the world finally, we're adults, we're responsible for ourselves. But I'm depressed. I'm going to miss this place. I've gone to this school my entire life, I've known all of these people since I was five and it's just so bittersweet. I know we'll see our friends but it's still just…meh," she said, making a sound and shrugging her shoulders. He kissed her gently on the lips with a small sigh.

"Just try and think about summer. We have the whole summer with our friends before college, and you'll see them during breaks and.."

"It's not about the people, Der, I can't explain it," she shrugged, scrunching up her nose.

"I don't care about the people. It's just moving on and letting go," she sighed. Looking up, everyone was moving inside the staging area, and she took his hand and they walked into the building where they were split up by last names.

* * *

Meredith sat nervously on the stage in her white cap and gown, reading her speech on the now-ratty piece of paper over and over again. Families and friends filled the chairs surrounded the stage and her peers, and she could see Derek in his seat, smiling at her. She weakly smiled back, before looking down at her speech again.

After it seemed like everyone was settled, their headmaster stood up at the podium and Meredith started getting butterflies in her stomach, knowing she came next.

"I would like to welcome everyone to the graduation of Seattle Waldorf School's class of 2016. Most of our students in our class size of 76 have been with us since kingergarten, and I'm sure have been looking forward to this day since then. But without further ado, I would like to introduce our class valdedictorian, Miss Meredith Elizabeth Grey." Everyone politely clapped and Meredith stood up, her palms sweaty as she walked to the podium and suddenly she was there, looking out into the sea of faces, and their headmaster was right – she had known almost every single face since she was five years old. This was going to be difficult.

"I find myself with great honor to stand before you as the leader of our class, your valedictorian. Most of us grew up together, we had playdates together, and some of us grew closer than that. It hit me like a truck just a few days ago that we'll never walk these halls again, we won't laugh together in the café, we won't gather on the back fields again. There's some finality to all of this, to moving on, but there's also something beautiful about it. After today, we become adults. We are responsible to no one but ourselves, and because of that we're responsible to turn ourselves into the best possible person that we can be. However we choose to do that is up to us.

After today we all embark on a journey, whether it's to find out who we are outside of Seattle Waldorf, or who we are outside in the world, but whatever it is, it's a lifelong journey and whether we stay in touch or not, I hope you find yourselves and you're happy with who you become." By now Meredith was openly crying, wiping at her eyes and pressing her lips together. There was still more of her speech to get through and she took a deep breath, trying to focus on Derek.

"For most of my time here, I wasn't the most pleasant person. I ruled with an iron fist because I felt I could and as I grew older, I grew worse. It took me until prom to realize I didn't have to, and for that I'm deeply sorry. Every single person before me is important to me; I know every single one of you by name and you're important. You matter. Do not ever let life tell you that you don't. Follow your dreams. Reach for the stars, no matter how far they seem to be. Run after the one you love. Don't let distance scare you. And eat that extra piece of bacon," she smiled, wiping away the last of her tears.

"It's been a hell of a twelve years and I can't imagine spending it with anyone else but you guys. To our future! To the memories we share. And to being the future leaders of the world," she concluded, before stepping down, heading off the stage and to her seat as the audience erupted in applause. Once she was in her seat commencement started in alphabetical order, and she was antsy. She wasn't sitting with anyone she knew personally besides Lexie, but they congratualed her and she smiled warmly.

"Alexandra Caroline Grey," was called first, and she watched her younger sister walk across the stage and for once, her heart swelled with pride. She knew her dad and Susan were there and for a moment, she wondered if her father was proud of her.

"Meredith Elizabeth Grey," she heard her name called, and she walked across the stage, shaking hands with the headmaster as she received her diploma, switching her tassel from one side of her cap to the other, smiling wide at Derek and giving him a thumbs up as he catcalled her, taking her seat again next to Lexie, nudging her foot.

"Congrats sis," she smiled, calling a truce. Lexie was going to Harvard in the fall and she would be close to her.

"Maybe I'll visit you," she offered, and Lexie smiled at her.

"I'd like that. I think Dad would too."

"Then I'll try, when I'm not with Derek," she said, hearing his name called.

"Derek Christopher Shepherd," she heard, and she stood up and clapped loudly for him, screaming at the top of her lungs as he crossed the stage and was back in his seat. In no time at all the ceremony was over and the students were leaving, heading back to the staging area. Meredith grabbed her phone and grabbed Derek, snapping a photo of both of them.

"I can't believe we did it, we graduated!" she screamed out. Now that it was over she was ecstatic.

"Your speech was perfect, I can't believe you were nervous!" he told her and she shrugged, laughing a bit. Now came the fun part: photos. They all shuffled outside of the school where parents wanted to take photos. Meredith's group of friends were off to one side, with all their parents there and she smiled as photos were being taken, Meredith jumping into Derek's arms at one point, then there was a line of just the girls in their white dresses and white graduation gowns. And then suddenly..it was all over. Meredith was throwing a graduation party later on but it was eh. Just another party with alcohol and food. The real celebration was over.

Meredith Grey was an adult. She was no longer a high school student, and she had the entire summer ahead of her before college, and she couldn't wait to start packing for Rhode Island.

* * *

 **Soooo I wrote the prom chapter and IMMEDIATELY wrote this one! I'm just so inspired lately, it's great! Keep an eye out for tons of updates on all my stories, even if reviews aren't woking! I'll read your reviews when they work again ;)**


	16. Starships

Packing up and leaving Seattle for the summer was like a dream. Meredith had one suitcase full of shorts, dresses, and cute little tops with matching shoes – her other was bikinis and cover ups, sunglasses and sarongs, sexy little dresses for night outs in Newport. She was excited to get away for the summer, even though she'd be back for a few weeks in August to pack up for Dartmouth and have her car shipped to Hanover. Right now though, she was focused on Newport.

The morning of her flight, she woke up and threw on a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt, rolling her hair into a bun. She couldn't be fucked to do anything else, really, since they'd be on a plane for hours. She, Derek, Addison, Amelia, Owen, and Mark were heading out first, with the rest of their friends coming in the next few days. Dragging her things downstairs, Meredith sat outside on the steps of her house, waiting for Derek's mom to come pick her up, pulling her cardigan close. Of course it was overcast in Seattle, but she knew it was gorgeous, sunny, and warm in Newport.

Finally Mrs. Shepherd pulled up and Meredith clambered inside the car, sliding in next to Amelia with Derek in the front seat.

"Hi," she said shyly as they headed to the airport, and she smiled at Amelia, glad she had taken the girl into her fold that first day on the field. It took them no time at all to get to SEA-TAC, and breezed through security, meeting Owen, Addison, and Mark at their gate. Meredith was antsy; she just wanted to get there and run into the surf and spend their summer in the huge house they had rented – it had 6 bedrooms and more soft beds, and could sleep 16 people, plus it had a huge wet bar downstairs and it's own private beach.

Eventully boarding was called and the six shuffled onto the plane, where Meredith put the arm rest up and promptly cuddled up to Derek, the two of them struggling to find a comfortable sleeping position, but they eventually fell asleep. It was a long plane ride, a bit over 7 hours, but when she woke up to the sun shining brightly she was pleased.

* * *

"Come on guys," she grinned in the airport as they headed to get their bags and ultimately the rental car. Newport was only ten minutes away and with Derek driving they got to the house quickly, Meredith gazing up at how huge and gorgeous it was. It didn't look like a classic beach house; it was made of stone and set up on a hill, with a rolling lawn in the front, and as she would soon discover, a huge lawn in the back that met the sand and led to the water. When Derek parked, she, Amelia, and Addison jumped out of the car, keys in Meredith's hand, eager to get in the house and let the three men deal with the luggage while they sorted out bedrooms.

Rushing up the steep stairs, Meredith turned into a bedroom with a king-sized bed and a fireplace, peeking into the connecting bathroom that held a bathtub separate from the shower. It was deep enough to hide both her boobs and her knees and she smirked.

"THIS ONE IS MINE AND DEREK'S" she yelled, just as Amelia called out from the room next to hers.

"OWEN AND I ARE GETTING THIS ONE," the fourteen-year-old called, and Mer poked her head out

"If I hear you having sex I'm going to murder you. And Addie, Addie is the person I'll call to hide your body," she smirked, before kicking off her converse and laying back on the bed she had just claimed for the rest of the summer. Soon enough Derek came in with their suitcases and she sat up with a smile, her shoes still on the floor, hair flowing out.

"Hey you. Can you believe we get to spend our summer here!?" she grinned, and he stuck their bags against one wall before going over to her, picking her up and spinning her around, kissing all over her face.

"I have to admit, this is one of your better ideas Miss Grey," he teased her, and she giggled, running her hands through his wavy McDreamy hair.

"Hey I have fabulous ideas, it's not my fault you don't like them," she laughed, throwing her head back as he tossed her on the bed, taking her t-shirt off as she went.

"Mmm is that how it's going to be?" she giggled, as he unbuttoned his shirt. She didn't even care if the others in the house heard them; they were on their senior summer vacation and dammit she was going to have sex every day if she wanted to.

"I'll show you how it's going to be," he breathed, undressing her all the way and she smiled, closing her eyes as she floated away in a state of bliss.

* * *

After their marathon of sex (4 times!), Meredith finally got out of bed and threw on a bikini, a white one with black flowers all over it, tying up her hair in a bun and rubbing herself with sunscreen. Derek watched her lazily from the bed and she turned, smirking at him as he looked at her pale, petite body, just begging to be tanned.

"Come with me, you know you wanna," she giggled, reaching into her backpack to grab a new book she'd picked up in the airport. When he rolled over and got out of bed she smirked.

"I'll be on the beach with Addie and Amelia," she smiled, throwing a loose black dress over herself, sliding her expensive sunglasses over her eyes.

"Bye, I'll be off being fabulous," she smiled, blowing him a kiss as she met the other girls downstairs.

* * *

Downstairs Meredith met Amelia and Addison and the three girls headed out the backdoor, finding a huge pool, tennis courts, a fire pit, and a massive deck with a grill and a long table on it.

"This is heaven," Amelia stated, and Meredith had to agree as they walked through the grass towards the beach. Once her feet hit the sand, she slipped out of her flip flops and wiggled her toes in the warm sand, happy to be there.

"Can we just live here? We can all pitch in money and buy it and live here forever," she laughed, setting up her towel and book and settling down for an afternoon on the beach.

* * *

Coming back to the house later, the three girls found that the boys had made them dinner. Looking between the three guys, the girls felt satisfied and dug into the hot dogs, burgers, and steak they had made, and they wondered when the hell they'd learned to cook. Either way it was pretty good, especially as they ate on the deck with the sun setting in the background. Meredith liked it with just the three of them, but the next day April, Jackson, Callie, Arizona, Izzie, and Alex would be arriving. Six couples in one giant beach house for three months. It was crazy but they were all friends and it somehow worked.

After dinner, curled up by the firepit with a margarita, Meredith couldn't help but smile. Their first day of the summer had been great and she couldn't wait for the rest of the summer – she knew it was the beginning of the end, but if didn't have to be. She'd see her friends on break and for holidays, and for the first time since graduation she felt calm. Curling up under a blanket with Derek, she closed her eyes, letting the warmth of the fire and the waves breaking on the shore carry her off to sleep.

* * *

 **Ended up in the hospital tonight, no fun! It's 5:35 am and I haven't slept because they mixed up my meds so I figured I'd write this out for you guys :) There will be lots of summer chapters, don't worry!**


	17. Kiss

Newport was perfect. No, it was more than perfect. Wake up, tie up your hair, throw on a bikini and head downstairs, grab something quick to eat and head to the pool or the beach. Meredith was in love and never wanted to leave. Her hair was a shade of blonde it had never been before, and her skin was actually tan for once in her life – having lived in Seattle and only ever going on brief vacations, her skin usually burned but here, she had a nice tan going.

By day they all hung around the beach or pool, and by nice the lit the firepit and chose their alcohol of choice, sharing stories and talking about their futures with excitement. Meredith always curled up in a chair with Derek and her favorite blanket, drinking tequila from the bottle and getting wildly drunk.

* * *

After a few weeks Meredith tired of the beach and she and Derek explored Newport itself, leaving the four walls of the beach house and their friends behind. They were in charge of getting more liquor; it helped they both had fake ID's that always worked and they looked older than they were, and then they both wanted to explore the town. Derek found a parking lot in town to park the rental car in and he and Meredith were off exploring.

Meredith found an old book store and pouted a bit, looking at Derek; he laughed a bit and kissed her forehead.

"Go explore and meet me in an hour okay? I'm going to look around. I feel like there's everything around the main square," he smiled, her fingertips leaving his last as she headed into the bookstore. It was like a dream for her as she buried her nose in an old copy of Aristotle's works, feeding her hungry mind. She sat perched on an low stool for an hour, until she checked her phone and an hour was up. She grabbed a few books and paid for them before strolling back outside into the heat, heading back towards where Derek had disappeared to with a smile. The studuious part of her brain was sated; she had room to learn over the summer.

She almost ran into Derek who grinned, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked her and she laughed, shaking her head a bit.

"Just happy with old copies of books I found," she smiled, as they walked hand in hand back to the car.

* * *

Once they got back to the house Meredith changed into a bikini and went to lay by the pool with one of her new books; Derek however hung out in the game room with Mark and Jackson.

"Would it be stupid to, hypothetically, give Meredith a promise ring?" he asked them, and Mark paused the game before looking at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you serious? Like actually serious? Screw this hypothetical crap."

"Well okay then I guess I'm serious."

"I gave April one junior year," Jackson said, shrugging his shoulders. He loved her and she loved him and he knew that once college was over they would end up together. Mark still looked alarmed.

"I've been with Addison since we were like five years old and I wouldn't give her one!" Jackson rolled his eyes.

"That's because you're Mark. If Derek wants to give Meredith one I say he gives her one, we all know he loves her. She used to be a nightmare before he arrived at school." He stated, and Mark had to agree on this.

"Seriously, did you come with magic? It's like you arrived and by November she was a completely different person, man." Derek shrugged, knowing that he had come along and changed nearly everything about Meredith.

"I love her, she's the best thing about moving to Seattle," he shrugged as he pat the pocket of shorts, where a ring lay nestled in his pocket in it's velvet box. Jackson looked at him with a smile while Mark shook his head.

"She has you whipped, she has you right where she wants you. The two of you going to schools close together? Bad idea. You'll spend every weekend with her and you'll be engaged or married before you graduate and go to med school." Derek just laughed and shrugged his shoulders, turning to leave.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," he smirked, leaving the cool air of the gaming room to head out to the pool to find Meredith.

* * *

Derek stood on the top deck which overlooked the pool, overlooking Meredith, who was stretched out on a lounge chair in a tiny white bikini and sunglasses, reading one of the books she had bought earlier. He liked that she had a brain and she used it, she didn't resort to slacking off and she wanted to be somebody in the world someday – a surgeon, like her mother before her. She knew how to use her assets and be completely intimidating but she also knew when to back off and be charming. Basically, she was perfect, and she was perfect for him.

He stood up there planning the night for them, planning to make her dinner and take her for a walk on their private beach and give her the ring he had picked up earlier that day. It was gorgeous really – a large pearl surrounded by smaller diamonds with a diamond band. He already knew she would love it and the thought that came with it and he smiled to himself. It didn't matter to him that they were going to two different schools three hours apart – he knew that no matter what they would last, something in him told him that. He was confident with himself and their relationship.

* * *

Derek had told her to dress up so there she was, dressed in a silky black halter mini dress that accented her tan skin. It was almost the end of July which meant the end of their summer in Newport and heading home to pack for college, and she was ready to sulk about it. Having blown her hair out into loose curls and done her makeup expertly, she met him on the upper deck where dinner awaited them. She couldn't help but smile that he'd made her favorite, fetticine alfredo, something he could easily make from scratch. There were even a few bottles of wine they enjoyed, and by the time they made it barefoot to the beach, they were stumbling and laughing, happier than ever.

"Meredith," he said, and she looked up at him with a wide smile, leaning against him.

"Derek," she smiled, more relaxed than ever, even when they were drunk together in Seattle.

"I love you," he said, stopping their walk together and holding her square by the shoulders, catching her up in a kiss. She giggled, the wine going straight to her head. She felt dizzy and free, free from everything in her life that had ever tied her down.

"I love you," she smiled, catching him up in a kiss.

"I'm going to marry you one day," she proclaimed, her green eyes shining, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders.

He couldn't help but nervously laugh; he shouldn't think the same thing at 19, should he? She had just turned 19 and she shouldn't think the same but here she was voicing it outloud.

"Mer, I want you to have this," he said as he opened the ring box and slid the ring on her finger. She looked down and her eyes went wide at the pearl and diamonds, before looking up at him again. He had made year the best it could have been and reaching up, she locked him in a kiss with a smile.

"It's beautiful, it's perfect," she whispered as she looked down at it in the faint light of the moon before looking up at him and locking him in another kiss with a smile.

"I love you, Der," she smiled, looking down at her new ring before looking up at him.

"After college," she whispered, lacing her fingers into his as they walked down the beach, the waves lapping at their feet.

* * *

The next morning all of them were leaving, back to Seattle to pack for college. Meredith woke up with a hangover, but she remembered the ring and rolled over, looking at it with a smile before rolling over to the other side and finding Derek awake.

"Good morning," she stretched, placing a kiss on his lips and he smiled, grabbing her hand.

"How much of last night do you remember?" he laughed as she looked at her finger, weighed down by the large pearl and the small diamonds.

"A very good deal" she promised, as she pushed him over, sliding his boxers down, having her last sex of Newport with him. She was going to miss this place, this summer, the time of her life.

* * *

 **I meant to have multiple Newport chapters then I realized there are only so many chapters you can write of laying by the pool or by the beach. Whoops! But Derek gave her a promise ring and they intend to go through with everything one day. I'm scared my fics are all going the same way and I want them to all be unique L**


	18. Remember Us

Meredith sat in her room, surrounded by things she was packing up for her move to Dartmouth. It was difficult, deciding what she wanted to bring and what to leave behind in Seattle and she sighed. She was surrounded by clothes, boxes, and suitcases; some of the essentials like her new bedding, a tv, etc had been sent ahead, and these things would be sent ahead as well, but it was just too hard. She knew Derek wouldn't be there when she woke up in the mornings, when she went to the dining hall to have lunch, he wouldn't be there to snuggle to sleep at night. This depressed her as she packed her clothes and she sighed, knowing she needed to get away but she also needed to keep packing her things.

Soon her room was almost bare, a lifetime of things packed away in boxes. She sat on the edge of her bed with a pout, before she heard noises downstairs and someone on the stairs, before Derek was in her doorway.

"Hey," he said to her, and she pushed herself off the bed with a tired frown.

"Hey," she said, moving over to him and wrapping her arms around time tightly. This was hard, harder than she thought it was going to be. She was not only packing up 19 years of life in Seattle, but she was packing up her life away from Derek. She kept telling herself he'd only be three hours away in Maine and while the weather held there would be trips to the beach and other things in store for them, but still. She had a huge lump in her throat that was threatening to burst.

"Let's go downstairs to the pool," she said with a sigh, clad in a grey sundress that fit her mood, her ultra-blonde hair scooped up in a messy bun. He followed her to the indoor pool, which he'd actually never been to in the almost year of knowing her, and she sat down on the side of the pool, dangling her feet in the warm water as he sat down beside her.

"No pouting. I'm going to see you next weekend, you're coming up to Bowdoin next weekend and then I'll come visit you at Dartmouth and so on," he said to her, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling his neck.

"Come on, Mer, we can do this," he promised her, but she was still staring listlessly into the crowd, playing with her promise ring. After a moment he gave her a good shove and she was in the pool, suddenly floundering for air in the deep end. When the surfaced, she sputtered water out, choking.

"The fuck was that for!?" she asked, pulling off her grey cotton Abercrombie dress that was just dragging her down, swimming around in her bra and underwear and tossing it away from the pool.

"Because you needed something fun in your life," he smiled, pulling off his shorts and shirt and jumping in the pool, swimming over to her and pressing her against the wall of the pool kissing her passionately. She sighed but she let him, kissing him back without much fire before he lifted her out of the pool and set her on the side, climbing out of it himself.

"Come on, let's go upstairs. We're leaving in the morning," he told her. They were leaving and he wanted all of her that he could. She followed him up the stairs, cold in the conditioned house, following to her bedroom and letting him have his way with her, laughing and giggling all evening.

* * *

Derek ended up staying all night, but the two ended up parting in the morning, only to reunite at SEA-TAC later that morning. Their flights were leaving from the same terminal and Meredith was bleary eyed as she stood in line at Starbucks, clinging to Derek and dressed in a cream colored floral dress, a cardigan thrown over her arm and a backpack on her back full of her laptop, her iPad, chargers, and some of her favorite books.

"I don't want to leave you," she said quietly as she ordered a skinny vanilla latte for herself and a regular coffee for him, scanning her gold card and moving to wait for their names to be called. She had spent almost every day for the past year with him and she didn't want to leave that behind even though she knew she had to. For his part, Derek was clinging to her like his life depended on it.

Once they grabbed their coffee, they walked up and down their terminal, waiting to hear their flights called and finally, Meredith's came up. Her face crumpled as she tried not to cry in front of the entire airport and Derek grabbed her by the wrists.

"Meredith Elizabeth Grey, listen to me. You're going to be fine. You're going to be amazing at Dartmouth. You and your chemistry major, right on track for medicine," he told her, his own eyes tearing up. She didn't want to get on that plane; if anything she would buy a ticket onto Derek's at the last moment,

"Just go, and be brilliant. Your things are waiting there, you have a new car waiting there, waiting to drive to me, and you'll see me in a week," he promised her, tipping up her chin to kiss her gently but fully, giving her a taste of what she was missing.

"Last call for boarding for flight 1008 to Hanover, New Hampshire," came the loudspeaker, and Meredith cried harder, touching her promise ring and turning around, dragging the other carry on behind her, turning around to look at Derek the whole time.

* * *

When Meredith landed in Hanover, she was surprised by the oppressive, late summer heat, so different to rainy and cool Seattle. She grabbed her bags and an uber and was brought to Dartmouth's campus, quickly getting her room keys and school ID and finding her building in the maze of buildings that made up her beautiful campus. Her heart ached as she pictured Derek doing the same thing three miles away.

Once she got to her room, she found she and her roommate Sadie had lucked out – they had two rooms. One was their bedroom and the room she had walked into was the sitting room – presumably they would have a couch and a TV and so much more in it – right now her many boxes were in it.

"Hello?" she called, biting on her lip, and a girl with almost her same hair came out of the bedroom dressed in jean shorts and a tank top.

"Hi, I'm Sadie Harris," she said in an English accent, and Meredith stood up straighter.

"Hi, I'm Meredith Grey," she said, tossing her hair back and letting go of one of her suitcases with a small sigh and a smile.

"it's so nice to finally meet you," she said, still smiling, as she moved her things into the bedroom. There were two beds, two desks, two stairs, two closests, and two dressers. Two of everything, everything uniform. Her bed things were on one of the bed and Meredith dropped her things, making up in the in a flash in case she wanted to drop. It seemed like no time at all that Sadie was coming back for her and she was turning around.

"Meredith, I'm going to a party, want to come?"

Meredith blushed and shook her head no, motioning to her phone.

"Waiting on my boyfriend to call me when he gets to his dorm at Bowdoin," she blushed; she was in the middle of unpacking suitcases and boxes. Dresses had been hung in her closet, glamorous dresses and sundresses, and now she was working on her underwear and socks. She felt lame on her first night at college but she figured she'd have plenty more time to party.

Finally, her phone rang and she rang to grab her iPhone, lighting up as his picture filled the screen.

"Der!" she smiled, audibly happier than also.

"Mer!" he smiled as he stood at the window of his dorm.

"How are you? How was your flight? How's Bowdoin?" she asked as she flopped down on the bed.

"It's good. I can see the ocean from my window... it's a ten-minute car ride away," he smiled, and he could tell she was smiling too.

"My roommate is English and she abandoned me to go to a party while I unpack and because I wanted to talk to you," she giggled as she looked out their bedroom window. It was a gorgeous view of the campus and she smiled, breathing steadily, knowing she was right where she was supposed to be.

"You sound happy," he pointed out to her and she smiled, settling on one of the pillows she had dragged with her to the window and she smiled.

"I am happy. I got my wish – I'm away from Seattle. My friends are all within driving distance and so is Lexie. We did it – we escape and I still get to see you all. I'll be in Maine next weekend and it's going to be so perfect, Der," she smiled, leaning her head against the window as she took a few breaths. It was hard being without him but she knew she could do it. Meredith Grey could get by without a man.

* * *

 **Here they are, off to college!**


	19. Kaleidoscope

College life was…interesting. It wasn't that she hated it – because who could hate living away from her mother? It was just different, and not in a bad way, but almost in a 'I could learn to love this if I have to but it's only something I'm tolerating for the next four years' way. She and Sadie got along just okay, mainly due to their very different ideas of partying. Meredith was more of a wine and hard liquor girl, while Sadie brought pills and just about everything else to the party.

"You are NOT doing that in my dorm room," Meredith yelled, trying to stand her ground. She may have been little miss popular back in Seattle but she had learned very fast that she would have to fight her way through Dartmouth and pick her battles, and this was one she was choosing to pick.

"Oh why not Meredith, don't you know how to have fun?" She lifted her chin indigently, rolling her eyes.

"Of course I know how to have fun, and I don't need pills or weed to do it. Tequila does the job just fine," she smirked, brushing her hair over her shoulders as she continued to get ready for her first night of partying at school. Tomorrow afternoon she was driving up to Maine and she knew what gave her a hangover and what didn't; she needed to be in tip-top shape for the drive and for the weekend.

"But pills are so much fun, they make you a different person," Sadie argued from the other room, as Meredith sat at her desk and did her makeup.

"Maybe if you liked yourself you wouldn't need to be another person," she retorted, hearing the other girl fall silent. Meredith: 1 Sadie: 0.

* * *

Friday after class, Meredith grabbed her packed bag, throwing it in the backseat of her new car and climbed into the drivers seat, and she was off to Bowdoin with a smile on her face. It was the first time in a year she hadn't seen Derek every day and she was anxious to get there. Luckily there wasn't much traffic and in just over 3 hours she was parking in an empty space, Derek magically appearing at the end of the rows. She burst into a smile and climbed out, her sandals hitting the pavement as she broke the distance between them, jumping into his arms.

"I know it's only been a week but I've missed you like crazy," she pouted when he put her down, his lips finding hers as they kissed, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"I've missed you too despite your millions of texts," he smirked as they walked back to her car to get her things. She rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"I just like to keep you updated on my life. And how much I hate my stupid roommate, I don't even know how she got into Dartmouth in the first place," she huffed as he shouldered her bag and they walked up the hill to his dorm in the cooling air.

"Why do you hate her? And why is she stupid?" he laughed, the two of them easily falling into step with one another, taking time to walk to his building.

"She's annoying as hell for one, two, she's a pill popper kind of girl and I told her under no uncertain terms is that happening in our room," she said, biting on her lip. Sadie was nice, but she was definitely intense, and it didn't help that both girls had well-known parents in the medical field and were both in the 8 year pre-med/med program. They were somewhat stuck with each other if not just for the first year, but in the same classes for eight years. Derek sighed as he swiped them into his building and they took the stairs up to his dorm room. Luckily his roommate had gone home for the weekend and they were alone.

"Don't get into any bad habits. Well. More than you already are," he teased her, and she rolled her eyes.

"Please, you know I'd never touch anything but alcohol. When your mother is a doctor you get shown the effects of substances on your body," she laughed, climbing onto his raised bed; it was too high for her so she had to jump a little. She looked around the room and smiled – his half was so stereotypically him right down to his posters of The Clash and she smiled, laying back on the pile of pillows.

"So how do you like it here? How's Maine?" she asked with a smile. He joined her on the bed and pulled her into his arms with a smile.

"Well, I like it a lot better now that you're here. My classes aren't horrible and the beach is ten minutes away, we can go tomorrow if you want." She smiled at that; she missed being near the ocean, even if the beaches in Seattle weren't really the kind you could sunbathe on.

"I'd like that, I haven't seen much of the east coast besides Hanover, but it's pretty here. Quaint. New England is nice, I can see myself here for the next eight years. I sort of have to," she laughed, rolling so she was facing him, curling up in his arms.

"What about you?" she asked with a smile, reaching up to kiss him lovingly.

"Maine is nice. It's pretty here. But I miss a certain girl and she's three hours away," he smiled, letting his fingers roam through her hair. She pouted slightly and let her head rest against his chest. Part of her wished they were at the same school, but she knew high school didn't last forever and time spent apart was good for them, even if they were seeing each other every weekend pretty much.

"How did I go from queen bitch to dating you so fast?" so wondered out loud, and he burst into laughter.

"Because I seduced you, clearly," and she shook her head laughing.

"No, clearly it was me who seduced you, you've got it wrong," she smirked, poking his cheek. He poked her back before tickling her, which ended up with her shrieking in laughter, rolling around on the bed, her shirt riding up as his hands roamed about the waist of her very tiny pair of shorts, before unbuttoning them and pulling them off as she giggled.

"Oh is this how it's going to be?" she asked him, sitting up as he pushed her back down into the pillows, taking off her tank top. She let his hands roam all over her body, drinking in every inch of her tight stomach and still-tanned skin, her long hair falling down her back in waves.

"I love you," he told her and she looked up at him, her lips crashing into his as she tugged at his t-shirt, pulling it over his head.

"I love you too," she promised him, pulling him down to her as the pair lost themselves in the evening light.

* * *

 **Sorry it's taking me so long to update! Been at a comic con this weekend and had to do costume prep leading up to it :) But I promise everything will be updated soon! This is a really poorly written chapter so I'm sorry :(**


	20. Sweetest Devotion

Meredith wanted it to be Thanksgiving. No, she badly needed it to be Thanksgiving. Despite weekend visits to Bowdoin, and Derek visiting her in Hanover, she was in desperate need of a week in Seattle with him, no dorm rooms and roommates coming in, no invasion of privacy, no wild parties. Sadie was practically unbearable and Meredith was in desperate need of switching roommates for next Semester.

The week leading up to Thanksgiving break was awful. Everything went wrong Monday morning, when her alarm didn't go off and she snuck in late to her Bio lecture, her dirty hair pulled back into a bun and dressed in yoga pants and her favorite Dartmouth shirt. She tried her hardest to pay attention but she wanted it to be Friday evening; she wanted to be sitting on the plane back to Seattle and meeting Derek at baggage claim. Sighing, she forced her thoughts back to the lecture.

Tuesday it started snowing before sunrise, and Meredith woke up to a fresh coating of white everywhere. Wrinkling her nose out the window, she dressed in a heavy sweater and leggings, shoving her feet into Uggs and grabbing her coat. Four more days, she thought, as she glanced at the calendar on her desk, picking up the bag that held her books and heading out the door into the snow, a slightly foreign thing for her, having lived in Seattle her life where it rained but almost never snowed.

Stepping out into the white and freezing cold she sighed, making her way to calculus. She just wanted it to be Friday.

* * *

Wednesday and Thursday weren't better; the snow had turned to sleet and Dartmouth was a virtual skating rink. She fell flat on her ass several times on the way to class, texting Derek about her misery as he laughed.

'Not funny!' she texted, as she stood up for the fourth time on the way to English. She finally made it there in one piece, only for the guy who sat next to her in the lecture hall to try flirting with her.

"Leave me alone," she told him, turning her head and focusing on the lecture; today it was on the book they were reading.

Finally Friday morning arrived, and she floated through her classes, waiting until she was finished at 1pm. Her suitcase had been packed since the weekend before, and after class she made a beeline for her dorm room, dropping off her books and grabbing everything she was taking home with her for the week, and dragging it to her car. She couldn't get to the airport fast enough, and once she had checked into long-term parking, she stood in the painstakingly long line to check her bags.

Once that fete had been completed, she had to get through security, managing to throw all of her things onto the belt and walk through the metal detectors. Once she was through it felt more real, and not like she was walking through a dream-like state anymore. She was actually going home; she would be seeing her friends tonight, there would be a bonfire on Alki beach tonight just like old times.

Eventually she was slipping into her seat on the plane, putting her earbuds into her ears and blasting Ed Sheeran as she closed her eyes and the plane took off. Finally she could smile, knowing in 6 hours she'd be touching down at SEA-TAC.

* * *

In 6 hours and some minutes, Meredith's eyes popped open as she gazed out the window, watching the sun set over Seattle. She had always said she hated the city but right now, she had never been happier to be home. Grabbing her coat and her backpack, she walked off the plane, quickening her pace as she navigated the huge airport, finally making her way to baggage claim.

Standing in the middle of it all, in all his glory, was Derek. She broke into a huge smile and ran the rest of the way down the escalator and into his arms with a huge smile on her face as he spun her around. She had seen him the weekend before but she didn't care; it felt different seeing him in Seattle again, knowing they had a whole week at their usual haunts with their friends and Amelia.

"I've missed you so much," she smiled, biting her lip as she looked up at him. He swooped down and placed a kiss on her plump lips, leaving her feeling dizzy before he took her hand.

"Let's grab your bag and head to my house," he said. They had worked out that she was going to stay with him, figuring that she'd be there the entire time anyway and Ellis didn't do holidays since she was always working.

Eventually her bag came around on the carousel and Derek pulled it off, the two of them heading out of the airport to grab a cab. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, exhausted from her day of class and traveling, excited to get back to the Shepherd house.

* * *

Arriving at the Shepherds was magical; Meredith looked up at the big, white house and smiled as Derek handled their bags. They headed towards the front door together and Derek unlocked it, pushing it open.

"Mom! We're home!" Amelia was the first one down the stairs, still in her school uniform, her hair hanging halfway down her back. Meredith noticed that the girl was taller and more polished, but she smiled at Meredith, and Mer moved in for a hug.

"How's school without me?" she giggled, as the rest of Derek's sisters and his mom piled around the pair. Amelia shrugged but smiled.

"I rule with an iron fist, just like you. Not a toe out of line," she grinned, as Meredith was wrapped up in Carolyn's arms. Meredith ducked to avoid the sisters she had never met until now – those mysterious older sisters with the names Nancy, Kathleen, and Elizabeth, before she slipped up to Derek's room alone. She was tired and on east coast time, but she was excited to see all of her friends at the beach. In a few minutes Derek came upstairs with their suitcases and other bags to find her laying on the bed, sleeping lightly, still in her coat. He had to laugh before he curled his body around hers, waking her up.

"Sorry babe, I didn't mean to wake you," he apologized, and she buried her face in his chest with a smile.

"I'm just glad to be home," she smiled, drawing him into a kiss.

* * *

After dinner, Meredith and Derek returned upstairs, changing for the bonfire on the beach. He had been texting Mark all day as he traveled back from Harvard, and Meredith had been in contact with Addison as she returned home from Yale, and she was excited to see everyone. Staring in the mirror, she kept on the clothes she'd been wearing all day, adding a shirt underneath her sweater to keep her warmer, tucking a scarf around her neck. She braided her long hair over her shoulder with a smile, looking at herself in the mirror. She had pulled jeans over her leggings and tucked her feet back into Uggs, and with a spritz of perfume she was ready.

"Amelia!" she called into the hallway, Lizzie looking straight at her. She straightened up and smiled at her, determined to win over his older sisters. Amelia yelled right back, before popping out of her room.

"What?" she sang out, dressed similarly to Meredith, but with her hair flowing down her back.

"Just wondering if you were ready, we're leaving soon," she smiled, her green eyes shining. Meredith disappeared back into Derek's room and grabbed her heavy coat, tucking her phone into one of the pockets and heading downstairs. Nancy was in the living room and she beckoned Meredith over to her.

"Yes?" Meredith asked, having just met the oldest Shepherd girl today.

"Your mother is Ellis Grey, right?" Meredith rolled her eyes in an obviously fashion and sighed.

"Yes. What is it that you want from me? My mother is a general surgeon, you're OB/GYN," Meredith stated, watching Nancy's eyes fall as she bit her lip. Meredith turned away, sitting on the bench in the hall as she waited for Derek and Amelia.

* * *

Eventually the three of them ended up in Derek's car, driving towards Alki beach. Meredith was sending text after text to Addison. The closer they got, the more excited she got, until finally Derek had parked and she was running on the rocky sand towards the already roaring bonfire towards her tall, redheaded best friend, throwing her arms around her.

"Oh my god, I've missed you! How's Yale?" she asked her, her breath frozen in the cold air. Addison laughed, brushing her long hair back.

"Yale is great, I really like it. You were supposed to come visit! You and Derek, and Mark was going to come that weekend too," she pouted, and Meredith instantly felt bad.

"Well, I have this totally barbaric and unbearable roommate, ugh, she's English and she's batshit, so I tend to go to Bowdoin every weekend to escape her. Maine is nice, Derek and I like it a lot, he's by the beach so we go exploring but it's freezing, and Addie it snowed this week! Real snow too and not the crappy flurries we get here," she grinned, her bright eyes flashing, clearly excited about the snow that had disrupted her week.

Soon April and Jackson arrived, then Alex and Izzie, and soon enough Owen showed up and slipped behind Amelia, and soon everyone was happy, chatting and having fun, catching up and swapping college stories. Everyone relied on Amelia to tell stories from Seattle Waldorf, and she loved soaking up the spotlight, regaling them with tales of teachers old and new, her crazy classmates, and the boys and girls who ruled the spotlight with her.

Meredith drank her fill of tequila until she was warm in her heavy coat and couldn't feel the soft rain falling as she held Addison's hand and ran in and out of the waves on the beach, screaming with each small wave washing up on the shore. Derek and Mark watched their girlfriends with wistful smiles, shaking their heads at how drunk they were.

"Sorry we haven't come to visit you, she insists on driving to see me and we get lost in all these tiny towns. Maybe in the spring we'll come to Boston," he shrugged, drinking a beer, watching as his sister joined Addison and Meredith in the waves. He was glad to be back in Seattle, even if it was only for a week.

Meredith came running back at Derek, sand and water flying in every direction as she flew into his arms. He laughed, spinning her around and kissing her, holding onto her tight. He had missed being with her like this, with all of their friends around. It was almost like senior year, but not quite – they were older and hopefully wiser from their months of medical classes.

"I love you," she whispered close to his ear, and he put her down, leaning down and kissing her properly, his hands slipping under the hood of her coat and into her hair.

"I love you too," he smiled back, kissing her under the typical Seattle sky of rain and clouds, but it couldn't have been more perfect to him.

* * *

Here's another one for you! Again, I'm sorry things have slowed down! i'm having a lot of trouble medically but I'm never giving up on my beloved stories! I'm thinking of starting an Omelia story but i'm not sure of the topic! I just love them so much, almost as much as MerDer, and everyone tells me I look like Caterina which makes me love her more! Give me ideas guys ;)


	21. Drunk

The week before Thanksgiving was one of the best times Meredith had of her freshman year – and to think, it wasn't even at school. Parties with her friends every night, more bonfires, all of them squeezing into her tv room and watching their favoritie movies – she loved it. She had no idea how much she would miss these people once she didn't see them all the time, and the Sunday after Thanksgiving was bittersweet, as they all said goodbye to each other in the airport. Meredith took her time, waiting with Derek as his flight was first, watching his plane leave before she made it to her gate, tears forming in her eyes. She knew how stupid she was acting, knowing that he was the closest of everyone, but she was miserable at Dartmouth with Sadie as her roommate.

* * *

Getting back to Dartmouth, Sadie wasn't home yet – she knew she had gone back to London for break, having had nothing else to do. She quickly unpacked her things and curled up on her bed, quietly texting Derek before Sadie barreled into her room in a flurry. Meredith looked up and gave her a dirty look which Sadie ignored. _Just a few more weeks until Christmas break, and then she'd have a new roommate after break,_ she thought to herself, as she laid back down, texting Derek again.

Sadie continued to irritate her but she kept quiet; she might be a bitch but she didn't want to set off the bitchier girl who acted so high and mighty, but after awhile it got to be too much.

"Don't you think you could tone down your level of crazy and keep it down?" she bitched, her face contorted into annoyance as she stared her down. Sadie, to her credit, stared back.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is Princess Meredith bothered by me making myself comfortable in my room?" she asked, and Meredith rolled her eyes.

"It's my room as well, and yes I am bothered," she said. The two hadn't ever had much interaction over the past semester, so it wasn't like they knew much about each other.

"Let me guess. The only child of Ellis Grey can't stand when people don't listen to her and follow her directions and do what she wants them to." Meredith flinched, her expression changing.

"No, I just don't like you," she shot back smoothly, patting down her smooth blonde hair with a sickeningly sweet smile. Sadie glared back.

"it's okay though, you're out after break and I'm keeping the room," she said breezily, grabbing her coat and scarf and leaving the room.

"Oh, and if you touch my things I WILL get you in trouble," she grinned, floating out of the room and outside.

* * *

Meredith was already exhausted and so done with the rest of the semester. The weekend after break, they'd decided to visit Mark at Harvard, so they made the drive to Boston, picking up Addison on the way. The car ride was fun, with them fighting over music as always, and when they climbed out of the car in frozen Boston, Mark was there to greet the four of them.

"We're pub crawling tonight," he told them, as Meredith shouldered her bag. She wasn't looking forward to that but she'd do whatever her friends wanted, as they followed him to his dorm room. His roommate was gone for the weekend and Meredith and Derek had his bed, but immediately getting into his room, Addie and Mer started getting ready for the night. Meredith did her makeup in the unisex bathroom across the hall while Addison curled both of their hair. They then painstakingly picked out something to wear on a pub crawl where they wouldn't freeze to death; Meredith chose skin tight jeans and black ankle boots, with a sheer white top, a white tank top underneath. Addison was dressed similarly, and the girls took turns spraying their curls so they stayed. They boys of course, didn't care, wearing jeans with boots and buttonups, but Meredith was hapy and she grabbed her coat and scarf again, as well as her fake ID, and the four of them left the dorm to hit up Boston.

* * *

It was on their third pub that Meredith realized how drunk she was. She was stumbling and laughing with Addison when a guy came up to her and pressed her against the wall. She sized him up; he was bigger and strong than she was but she was Meredith, she could do anything.

"Excuse me," she said, pursing her lips and trying to push past him, but to no avail.

"I said excuse me," she said louder, getting in his face.

"Yeah I heard you," he said, in a heavy Boston accent. She rolled her eyes, not even wanting to be bothered by this crap.

"Yeah? And so you should fucking listen," she slurred. She might be tiny but she was vicious. She tried to push him one more time and he stopped her again, leaning in and trying to kiss her. She was officially disgusted as she raised her leg and kneed him in her groin. Success! He doubled over in pain.

"Bitch!" he screamed at her, but she strode towards her friends happily, the incident already gone from her mind as she slammed down the shot of tequila waiting for her with a smile, linking arms with Addison as they belted out a song together.

* * *

They made it to 5 pubs that night, and Meredith had no idea how she was still standing after all that beer and liquor. She could feel it pulsing through her veins as she held onto Derek so that she was at least upright; that was the best she could do. Instead of alcohol, she now had water and a pounding headache as the room spun around her.

"Babe, I'm going outside," she told him, wandering out onto the street and leaning against the building, taking gulping breaths of the freezing cold air. It felt good in her lungs and it cleared her head a bit. There was something in being in the cold that cleared her head. She took a few more deep breaths, freezing outside but it sobered her up quickly. _At least I didn't throw up tonight_ she thought, closing her eyes

* * *

The rest of the weekend went smoothly, with a party at one of the fraternities and Sunday was spent recovering before they drove home. It had been a great weekend and Meredith couldn't wait until they could come back; hopefully when it wasn't so damn cold. As Derek drove her back to Dartmouth she started to pout; she always hated saying goodbye, but she knew winter break was in two weeks, and they had a whole month together in Seattle to do whatever they wanted. She knew she was spending Christmas with his family although she was staying with her mother this time, but she still couldn't wait for winter break.

* * *

 **Thank you for sticking with me while I'm slow and foggy-headed! Chronic illness sucks so much but I hope you like this chapter!**


	22. Sick Note

I wanted to give an apology to everyone for not updating recently. I have a very severe stomach disease called gastroparesis; I've had it nearly three years but it's extremely progressive and for me, it has progressed to the point where I can no longer have solid food. As you know, a person requires food to sustain life and have energy, and because I can't have food I have limited energy for things. Some days I can't get out of bed, some days I can only make it to the room next to mine; some days I have more energy than others. It varies.

I AM NOT ABANDONING MY WORK AND CHARACTERS. I have put so much work and love into my stories and I would never do that to them, or to you. I am simply saying that it may be awhile between updates, and for that I am incredibly sorry because I miss the days where I'd update every single story and make all of you smile. I'm doing the best that I can and I hope you don't abandon me because we still have a long journey ahead of us together.

Xx Emilia


	23. Hello again!

Hey everyone! I've missed all of you SO MUCH and I think I'm finally healthy enough to return to writing/updating fics for all of you! So much has happened in my life, I've lost so much, but in return I've gained so much more. Here's what's happened since I last posted a note:

I lost 35 pounds due to my gastroparesis, and as an already tiny, almost underweight person, it shoved me under the edge to severely underweight. But I'll return to that in a bit.

I had surgery on my stomach, a procedure called a pyloryplasty, to cut open the muscle that forces your stomach to contract every 2-3 minutes and helps food pass through. Now, when/if I eat, my food flows freely through and it's easier for my food to digest – which helps a lot, because we learned through a stomach emptying test that my food digests slowly, at a mere 12%. My digestive system is failing but it still works, albeit slowly.

So, last time I posted, I was barely able to eat, and was losing weight rapidly. I had no energy which is why I had to step back from writing, because my brain simply couldn't handle it anymore. I was so upset I couldn't write for you guys! When I went in for surgery, I weighed 101 pounds. I was in the hospital for 5 days after my surgery, and recovered quickly. However, 36 hours after being at home, I couldn't stop throwing up the 1/4th of a smoothie I had managed to drink, and I was admitted to the ICU at the hospital. They put in an NG (nasal-gastric) drainage tube in my nose going into my stomach, because there was a blockage in my stomach going into my small bowel (gross, right?) and I was diagnosed with something called SMA syndrome. Basically, I had lost too much weight in too little time, and a major artery had lost fatty tissue and simply collapsed on top of the area where the stomach meets the small bowel.

I was transported to the hospital where my GI doctor and surgeon were, and placed in THEIR ICU, and was on so much pain medication every hour just to make myself slightly more comfortable. Nothing helped with the pain. A few days later they placed what's called a GJ tube in my stomach, the G portion drains your stomach if it's backed up and you feel sick, and the J portion goes into your jejunum and is where you get feeds. It was a disaster from the start, with the J portion clogging straight away. It decided to stay clogged, no matter how hard they tried to unclog it (it would get unclogged for a few hours, and the next time they went to use it for feedings, medicine, etc, it would be clogged again.) So that was a disaster but after 22 days in the hospital, I got sent home on 9/8 – a day before my 27th birthday!

I luckily got to be home for my birthday, even if my birthday cake had to be brought up to me at my bedside because I was too sick and in too much pain to go downstairs, but I was surrounded by my parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews. However, the following Monday I landed myself in the ER with vomiting and severe pain, and was released Tuesday. Being so strong-willed, I made it to my classes Wednesday! My professors were impressed with how resilient I am, and proud of me. I should note that this entire time, the head of my dance program was doing everything she could to make sure that I could complete the semester, even though I came back 3 weeks into the semester. I seriously love this woman, and owe her so much. She is so determined and so caring, and emailed or texted me every single day that I was in the hospital and kept my spirits up, and is even allowing me to choreograph two dances this semester! One is a group piece and one is a solo, showcasing my 15 year struggle with anorexia. So far both pieces are going great!

So the Thursday after my birthday, I went and had my fourth endoscopy of the year, where I got the GJ tube out, and they placed a PICC line in my left arm. A PICC line is just a fancy term for a permanent IV/central line; if everything goes right with it you can have them for months or years. I began on TPN feedings, or total parenteral nutrition, which I carried around in a backpack while it infused and disconnected when it was time to dance. I needed to gain and reach 110 pounds; my lowest weight I had reached was 93. I'm currently 102, because unfortunately yesterday we discovered that my PICC had become infected, and it had to be pulled out. My GI doctor decided that I didn't need another one, and of course I'm losing weight like crazy, and my life is just one giant mess.

It doesn't help that I received two more diagnoses this past week: dysautonomia and POTS, which go hand in hand. Dysautonomia means that nerves in my briain don't send proper signals to places in my body, causing things to go wrong, which could be an explanation for my brittle diabetes, my gastroparesis, my severe migraines, and many other things. POTS stands for posterior orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, which basically means I have severe tachycardia. My resting heartrate when I'm sitting or lying down is usually in the 120's or 130's. For a normal person, their resting heartrate is usually around 90`100. When I dance it can go up into the 170's. which is dangerous but I've been given no restrictions which I'm happy about, but we'll see what a more specialized cardio tells me.

Throughout all of this I'm trying to stay positive and move on and be happy about this. I'm planning a trip to Disney with my best friend for spring break, and I'm going to NYC this weekend for comic con. I'm trying to live my life without limits, the way that chronically ill people try to live, because for now my only limit is my racing heartbeat and the way my body constantly feels like crap. But hopefully as I see doctors, things will slowly be explained and medication will be able to help me.

Either way, like I said, I'm definitely ready to come back and write more chapters for you guys! I've missed these characters so much and I've missed writing for you, and making you guys happy.

Look out for new chapters in ALL of my stories in this upcoming week!

XX Emilia


	24. Homecoming

Once again Meredith found herself at the airport, ready to say goodbye to New Hampshire. Snow was falling steadily and her heart beat wildly in her chest as she stared at the screens in front of her – so many outgoing flights had been cancelled due to the storm already, and all she wanted was to get to Seattle and be with her friends – most importantly, she wanted to run down the stairs at the airport into Derek's arms. She bit her lip and looked down at her iphone – the storm hadn't reached Maine somehow, and she read Derek's last text. He had taken off over an hour ago, concerned that Mer's flight wouldn't take off. Shoving her phone into her pocket, she gathered her heavy coat around her and trudged through the terminal with a frown on her face, looking for her gate and hoping to hell she wasn't stuck in New Hampshire another night when she could be home.

When she arrived at the gate, she found her flight was delayed by two hours and her face fell – it was only 4 pm, though, and she closed her eyes and said a silent prayer that it wouldn't be outright cancelled. She could grab a hotel room – that was easy enough – but being stranded somewhere always sucked. Being unable to reach Derek sucked. Resigning to her fate, she grabbed her backpack and rolling carry-on, heading to the nearest Starbucks for some hot chocolate to keep her warm in the chilly airport.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket as she stood in line at Starbucks and she reached for it, nestled among a hat and a few pairs of gloves, her eyes lighting up when she saw Derek's name, knowing he had managed to get wifi on his flight.

'Please update me on your flight status!' it said, and sighing, she quickly typed back.

'Delayed two hours, but trying not to give up hope ' she typed back, getting to the front of the line and ordering a Venti hot chocolate, savoring the warmth once it was in her hands.

Heading back to the gate, her face fell and she almost dropped her hot chocolate all over her. In big red letters at her gate was the word CANCELED. Well. That had escalated quickly. Her eyes traveled to the windows, which were a swath of white before she joined the crowd at the counter, pressing her lips together and trying hard not to cry, juggling her hot chocolate and her phone as she typed the words out to Derek, a lump in her throat.

'Flight canceled. Guess I won't be seeing you tonight,' she said, her eyes burning with hot tears. It wasn't that she didn't know how to be independent and navigate the world. It was just…she wanted to be with her friends, she wanted to fall asleep tonight in Derek's arms. She finally got to the front of the line, where she was told she would be put on the first flight out to Seattle in the morning, and tonight would be spent in a hotel. Great. At least she had a change of clothes in her small rolling bag. Turning away from the counter, she headed towards the airport exit, her boarding pass in her hand as proof that she was a passenger on the canceled flight.

As she stepped outside, she was hit with the full force of the storm. She tossed her hot chocolate and shoved her hands in her pockets, pulling on her gloves and hat, the hood of her coat going up next as she stood in the cold blizzard, waiting for the airport shuttle to come along to take her to the hotel. This was going to be the most miserable night of her life, she knew, more miserable than any night she had spent in her mothers house.

* * *

Eventually she made it to the hotel and her spirits sunk deeper. It wasn't the greatest of places, but at least she wasn't stuck curled up in her coat in the terminal. When she got to her room she chained the door, immediately sending a text to her mother that she wouldn't be home that night, not expecting one back, then sent another to Derek that she was safe in the hotel room. She sat down on the bed, before I feeling like she was going to burst into tears. While she had often felt alone growing up, with times she had been alone in her room, she had never actually truly been stranded somewhere. She didn't know if Mark or Addison had gotten home or not, but hearing nothing from them she assumed they were on a flight.

Sighing, she resigned herself to her fate and curled up on the bed in her coat, falling asleep. It was only 6 PM, but she was exhausted from getting to the airport and going through the motions of getting to her gate, waiting to see if her flight was canceled, having it be canceled, then getting to the hotel. She was wiped out.

The first time she woke up, she realized she was still in her coat and Uggs. She couldn't place what woke her up until she saw her phone ringing. Derek.

"Hello?" she asked, bleary-eyed, her voice filled with exhaustion.

"Mer, I'm so worried about you being stuck, do you know when you'll be able to get a flight?" All the emotions she'd been feeling all day got to her and she let out a sob, feeling like a 19 year old baby.

"They have me on the first flight out in the morning, I'm just hoping everything will be clear by then," she sniffled, tugging at the end of her raggled hair. She heaved a deep sigh and pulled off her coat, still chilled in the room. She got up from the bed and headed to the window; somehow it looked even worse outside, with snow piling up against her first-floor window, pressing against it, menacing to her. She was going to go crazy until 5 am, when she was heading back to the airport.

"Just try and focus on the positives, Mer, they're making sure you're safe, I want you to be safe okay?" She sighed and nodded her head, pressing her hand against the cold glass.

"I know you do, I just want to be home with you and everyone else, I love you" she pouted, going back to sitting on the bed – it was too cold by the window. Eventually Derek was dragged to the dinner table and they had to hang up, and Meredith crawled under the blankets in the king-sized bed, drifting off into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Her eyes shot open when her alarm blared at 5 AM, and she was out of bed, grabbing her coat. She hadn't even bothered touching either of her carry-ons so after tucking her scarf around her neck and tugging her hat down low over her ears, she shouldered her backpack and did a last minute sweep of the hotel room, making sure she'd grabbed everything. After checking out of the hotel she got on the shuttle back to the airport, and made it to her gate. Luckily the runways were clear and she was settling into her seat in no time, closing her eyes as the plane took off.

She woke up as she felt the wheels come down, and she looked out the window, spying the space needle. Never before had she been so excited to come home, despite the fact that she had been so eager to leave it before. Scrambling to grab her carry-ons, she was one of the first people off the plane, ready to get downstairs and grab her bags that had arrived before she did. Rushing down the escalator, she stopped short when she saw Derek at the bottom with a bouquet of flowers. She smiled brightly, rushing down the last few steps, throwing her arms around him tightly.

"I'm here," she smiled, curling up in his embrace, never wanting to let go as she took him in. He laughed and held her close, knowing she'd spent the past 24 hours in airports and crappy hotels as he rocked her back and forth.

"You're here, you're safe and you're here. Let's get your things and go home, okay?" She nodded, tears filling her eyes. She'd never been so happy to be home, to trade snow for the downpour that was bucketing outside, but as they grabbed her two suitcases and walked through the pouring rain to his car, she was never happier to be home.

* * *

 **So I figured i'd throw Meredith for a little loop, but she got home for Christmas anyway! Thank you all for being so patient as I get my muse back and update all of my stories! My muse is so strong right now; it's the strongest for my Amelia/Owen ballet fic and am alternating between that and other stories every other chapter. Hope you like this one!**


	25. Count Me In

Waking up in Derek's bed the next morning was surreal, considering 24 hours ago she was in some random hotel room in New Hampshire, snowed in. She took her time waking up, not wanting to really move or anything out of the warm bed. It was still a few days to go before Christmas and she was savoring the time off from school, the time off from crazy Sadie and going nuts in the snow and freezing cold. She could hear the pounding of rain against the window and she sighed; she was definitely home in Seattle. Next to her, she could hear Derek breathing soundly and she smiled, rolling over again and falling back to sleep.

The next time she woke up, she could hear people moving around the house and she groaned, pulling the covers over her head. She didn't want to get up; it was awful outside and she knew she'd be sulking around the house all day, cuddling with Derek. At some point she had to go home and face her mother but after the past 24 hours she just wanted to be with Derek. The best was conspicuously empty beside her and she sighed, climbing out of bed and getting dressed in leggings and her favorite Dartmouth shirt, running a brush through her hair before she headed downstairs, finding Derek seated at the table.

"Morning," she said, sleep still filling her voice as she yawned, still exhausted and on east coast time. He gave her his lopsided smile and she smiled, heading over to him and dropping a kiss on top of his head.

"Good morning, beautiful," he told her, reaching up as his lips met hers, handing her his cup of coffee to sip out of. She smiled and took a drink of the liquid, savoring the taste of real coffee vs the dining hall crap she'd been drinking when she didn't have time to go to Starbucks.

"God I've missed you," she said with a happy sigh, heading over to the coffee pot and pouring herself a cup of coffee. Black, two sugars, before sitting down at the table with him, smiling.

"Amelia's at school and my other sisters aren't coming home yet, and mom's at work. We have the house to ourselves unless we want to go out." She glanced at the windows and laughed, before shrugging.

"We could always go shopping for Christmas presents," he suggested, and she smiled, leaning over and giving him a kiss.

"That could be fun, though it's so warm and cozy here," she laughed, resting her head against his shoulder as she drank her coffee. She was just glad that she was here in Seattle and away from the mess of a blizzard that was the east coast. She snuggled up to him and closed her eyes with a smile, the hot liquid warming her up and perking her up as well, the sleep dissipating from her tired eyes.

* * *

They ended up spending the morning laying around on the couch, hoping the weather would clear up – the tv was on in the background as they lay on the sofa together, drifting in and out of sleep, several movies playing on TV while Derek held her in his arms. Around 1 though, they finally were up for good and decided to head into the city despite the weather. With a sigh, Meredith stood by the front door in her rainboots and heavy jacket, her hair pulled away from her face as she waited for Derek to com downstairs, hands in her pockets. She literally had to shop for everyone – her mother, all of Derek's family, Addison and Mark. Derek finally came downstairs and her face lit up, brushing her hair away from her eyes as he grabbed his jacket and zipped it up. He placed a kiss on her lips, sliding an arm around her waist as they made a mad dash through the rain to his car. Once they were safely inside and she was shaking the rain out of her hair, she synced her phone and started playing music while he drove towards downtown.

They ended up shopping for hours, which delighted Meredith since she was able to get all of her Christmas shopping done. She never knew what to get for her mother, but she manage to fine some journals for her, the type that she was always scribbling in, and a necklace she could wear if it ever crossed her mind. She had no idea what to get Derek, though. He wasn't a jewelry type of buy but she wanted him to have something on him to make him think of her.

As she lingered over jewelry in Tiffanys, her eyes traveled over to the watches, and then her body followed as her eyes poured over the different ones they carried, finally settling on one she liked.

"Hi, I'd like to see that one," she said, tapping gently on the glass above it. The saleswoman took it out and held it out for her as she smiled, running her finger over the silver chainlinks, the crystal face.

"It's beautiful, I'm going to take it. I'd like the underside inscribed, though. I'd like it to say Merry Christmas 2016, with love from Meredith." The saleswoman noted all of this down, and Meredith handed over her platinum Amex card, courtesy of her mother, thanking god that Derek had chosen to slip into some sports store and not follow her into Tiffanys.

Pleased that she had gotten her most important gift, and knowing it would be ready in a few days, she left Tiffanys with a small bad containing her mothers gift, going to find Derek where he was most likely torn between sweatshirts or hats in the sports store.

* * *

Getting home later that day, Meredith stepped in the house and removed her coat and shoes before realizing Amelia was home. She hung her coat up and went upstairs, popping into the girls room with a smile.

"Hey you," she said with a smile, leaning in the doorway. Amelia looked up from her phone and smiled, running at her with a hug as Meredith laughed.

"I'm guessing that's a 'Hey, I'm so happy to see you?" she asked her, hugging her back.

"Oh you have no idea, how ever did you do this most popular girl in school stuff? I love it but the plebs are exhausting," she laughed, sitting on the edge of her bed. Meredith laughed and shook her head.

"But that's the fun of it, because you get to put them in their place," she teased. She had grown out of all of that once she'd gotten to college, although with Sadie it brought her all back. She went to leave the room so Amelia could do her homework but she left her with a smile.

"Just think, three and a half more years and you'll be out of this stupid city too," she smiled, before heading back to Dereks room.

* * *

 **So basically a filler chapter before Christmas! I want Derek to give her a promise ring but I don't want this story to be too much like Long Live, thoughts? Thank you!**


	26. Authors Note

AN: Hey guys! Emilia here. I really would love to get back into writing as I miss it! My health is finally doing better and I miss these stories and these storylines like crazy! Do you want me to continue these existing stories or start fresh with new ones? I'm tempted to write Dreams on Fire again, since I'm not happy with the existing version and feel I could do so much better!

Please throw some ideas out there for me! In the meantime, I'm going to try and start updating some things for you amazing people 3


	27. Merry Christmas Darling

A few days later, Christmas Eve approached. Meredith was ready that morning, sneaking downstairs before everyone was awake and slipping her presents for the Shepherds underneath the Christmas tree. She had to admit, she liked the mix of homemade and storebought ornaments – the trees she had grown up with at home were professionally decorated, with one in every room downstairs. She even had her own mini-tree in her tv room, with presents underneath that she had bought for herself. Looking back on it, it was pathetic really, that she'd done her own Christmas shopping – she knew her mother had passed her other Christmas list to an intern who had done it for her. Ellis Grey couldn't be bothered with things like shopping, especially for a daughter she didn't want in the first place.

Frowning at this, she felt tears coming to her eyes before she hastily wiped them away. Things were different now. She had Derek, she had the Shepherds. She had a real family to spend holidays with, and she couldn't be happier about what a difference a year and a half made. Sneaking upstairs, she tucked herself back into bed with Derek – it was 6 AM Seattle time, but 9 AM Hanover time, and her body and brain were tired and confused, especially still from being stuck in the airport hotel from the blizzard.

* * *

The next time she woke up was to the smell of delicious things baking downstairs in the large house. Cookies, pies, cakes…and something that smelled heavily of cinnamon. Derek was nowhere to be found, so she slipped out of bed, pulling a Dartmouth sweatshirt over her head and sliding into slippers, following her nose downstairs to the kitchen. There were piles of waffles, pancakes, and cinnamon rolls on the island counter, with coffee and hot chocolate brewed in pots against the wall. Carolyn and Nancy were busy making desserts for tomorrow, with Amelia dancing around to Christmas music. Standing in the doorway, Meredith smiled – she had been around for Christmas last year, but somehow this was even better. She had a place in this family, and for a moment she peeked at the ring on her finger, the promise of forever, before stepping into the room.

"Morning," she smiled, pouring herself a cup of coffee, fixing it with her desired amount of sugar and cream.

"Morning!" everyone sang back to her.

"Where's Derek?" she asked, taking a seat at the island and helping herself to food.

"Idiot decided to go fishing with Mark," Amelia said with a roll of her eyes, her fingers quickly texting on her phone.

"Texting Owen?" Meredith laughed, and Amelia turned bright red.

"Shut up!" she protested, but Mer knew the teenager, and knew from her weekend at Harvard that the pair were still going strong despite the distance and age gap. Meredith simply smirked behind a bite of waffle, shaking her head a bit.

"Why would they go fishing on Christmas Eve? It's cold and raining," she complained with a small laugh, but she knew when he got home he would tell her it had been perfect fishing weather. After awhile of watching Carolyn and Nancy, she eventually left the kitchen for the family room, turning the TV to whatever Christmas movie was on and falling back to sleep on the couch.

BREAK

The next thing she knew, Derek was kissing her awake and she smiled softly.

"Hey," she yawned, sitting up.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep, I swear," she laughed, noting that he was already showered and in fresh clothes.

"You're probably just worn out from the past few days," he told her, sitting down next to her. Immediately, she curled up next to him, snaking an arm around his as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah but I'm here now with you and it's Christmas Eve," she smiled, content to just sit on the couch all day.

And they did just that.

BREAK

The evening was a completely different story. Growing up with a hardcore surgeon as a mother, Meredith hadn't had religion in her life. The Shepherds, however, were Catholic, which Meredith respected, especially when Carolyn asked if she wanted to come to church with them. She hadn't last year, as she had spent Christmas Eve at her own home, but this year she found herself dressed in a pretty dress, putting on her makeup besides Kate in the hallway bathroom, feeling nervous. She knew the older girl could sense her anxiety, especially when she closed the door and turned to her.

"Don't be nervous, I don't think you could screw anything up at this point and Derek would fall out of love with you," she joked, and Meredith gave a small sigh, shaking her head.

"It's not even that, it's just this is so different to everything I know," she admitted, carefully brushing eyeshadow across her eye, making sure it was perfect. Once she was done with her eye makeup, she smeared red lipstick on her lips before looking at herself in the mirror. Kate looked at her curiously as she gave another sigh.

"You're in med school, even if you aren't going to be a surgeon you know who my mother is, either from school or your mother," she said, and that was how Meredith ended the conversation, leaving the bathroom with her high heels clicking on the marble tiles.

Heading downstairs, she felt eyes on her even with her head down. Picking her head up, green met blue and she gave Derek a small, sad little smile. Christmas should be fun, but she only had terrible memories, of sitting around the Christmas tree with her nanny, being told by her mothers in-house secretary that Dr. Grey had been called into an emergency surgery and that she would be alone. But standing in the Shepherds formal living room with Derek, as he leaned in to kiss her, told her enough already – she was going to have a real Christmas after all.

* * *

After midnight mass, the family returned to the house, and Meredith tried to make her way upstairs before she felt on a tug on her hand. Derek was pulling her back downstairs towards the living room again and she let herself go willingly, leaving her shoes in the entry hall – her feet were killing her and she was absolutely exhausted at this point, since her body thought it was 4:30 not 1:30.

"I want to give you something," he said with a smile, picking up a small box from underneath a tree. Her heart rate sped up and she raised an eyebrow.

"Why not wait for the morning with everyone else?" she asked, her voice strained. She knew it had to be something special if he was giving it to her in private.

"Because it's something sentimental that my sister's will probably tease me for," he said with a chuckle, handing her the box. She shook her head a bit, laughing nervously as she tore the paper, revealing a small jewelry box. Curiously, she opened it, revealing an antique gold locket, taking it out and letting it dangle in her hands.

"Oh!" she said, drawing in a sharp breath.

"It was my great-grandmothers, my mom gave it to me, and I wanted to give it to you," he smiled, as her eyes watered with tears.

"Open it." Her fingers fumbled with the ancient clasp and soon she was staring at a picture of the two of them from Newport last summer, posed on the beach together, their smiling faces looking up from the small heart frame. Tears formed in her eyes as her head whipped up.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, raising up onto her tip-toes to kiss him, softly at first, but then with a fiery passion under the twinkling lights, knowing the rest of the house was asleep. His arms slid around her and pulled her close to him, letting his fingers run through her curls.

"I love you Meredith, I wanted to give you something unique and special. We're only 19 but you're going to be my wife someday," he smiled, taking her left hand and kissing her promise ring. Her lips parted into an even wider smile, her arms wrapped around his neck as she brought him into another kiss.

"I love you too, Der," she grinned, using the nickname she had picked that second day of senior year.

"We should go to bed, Alena's going to be jumping on us at 5 am," she laughed, taking his hand and leading him upstairs.

* * *

As predicted, the bouncy three year old was running up and down the hallway at 5:30 AM, and Meredith groaned, throwing an arm over her eyes.

"I require a coffee drip IV today," she groaned, as Derek rolled over and peppered her face with kisses.

"Merry Christmas, Mer!" he sang, and she groaned again, smacking him.

"if you make jokes out of my name and the word merry today, I'm going to kill you," she moaned, rolling out of bed and trying to find something to wear. Pajama pants and a wrinkled shirt wasn't going to cut it in front of his family. Stumbling into leggings and an oversized sweater with cozy socks, she managed to fumble a brush through her hair before they joined the family downstairs. Amelia looked like she was still half asleep, curled up in a corner of one of the couches, and Meredith wanted to curl up with her, but took a seat on the floor instead before being pulling into Derek's lap.

"Santa came!" Alena yelled, making them all laugh.

"Yes baby girl, Santa came," Nancy smiled, pulling the toddler into her lap, trying to hide a rather conspicuous bump that Meredith had noticed the night before. Looking up at Derek, Meredith smiled a bit.

"I've never had Santa visit me," she whispered, and he frowned at her.

"What? Of course you have."

"Nope, Ellis Grey made it very clear that Santa wasn't real," she said, wrinkling her nose. Christmas had never been a thing for her; this truly was her first magical Christmas. Swooping down, Derek kissed her forehead.

"Then it's a good thing this is going to be your first and very best Christmas ever," he promised her.

* * *

Derek was true to his word – after an hour or two of going around the room, the whole family had their own pile of presents around them, and Meredith was glowing with warmth of love from the Shepherds. She had her own pile from all of them, and a pile from Santa, which she was stupidly giddy about, though it was her first in 19 years.

"I love all of you," she announced to the room, smiling widely and laughing a little bit. The sisters piled in around her in a huge hug, making her feel even more loved.

"Definitely the best Christmas I've ever had," she smiled, hugging Amelia the tightest of all.

* * *

 **So I'm finally back to writing! It was so nice writing this chapter, so much MerDer fluff! Next up: spring break ;)**


	28. Assemble

Going back to school had been hard, and parting ways with Derek at the airport was more than difficult, but she managed to do with grace, shedding her tears in private when she was sitting on the plane. The flight was long, and when she got to her car in Hanover, she wasn't pleased to find mountains of snow surrounding her, and sighing, she drove back to her dorm. She knew she was getting a new roommate this semester, but after the Sadie debacle she was up for anyone.

Once she finally dragged her things through the snowy parking lot and up to her room, she was nervous to find a new roommate there. The girl was sweet, though. Her name was Abigail and she was from NYC, transferred from another dorm. Her side ot the room was already neat and organized, and Meredith smiled, unpacking quickly and settling in, sending Derek a text to let her know she was home.

And so, spring semester started in a flurry of snow and freezing cold, with Meredith setting her sights on spring break in Mexico…

* * *

Two months floated by, and suddenly it was March. She didn't know where the time had gone, but closing her Chemistry book, Meredith found herself excited as she headed back to her form through snow flurries, knowing she was about to pack to go to Cabo. She, Derek, Mark, and Addison were heading there for a week and she couldn't be happier. Her suitcases were packed with dresses, skirts, and most importantly, bikinis, and with a drinking age of 18 in Mexico, she was set for fun.

Boarding her plane at the airport, she let herself relax, spending the 8+ hour flight trying to sleep, although she was too excited to see her friends. In her carry-on she had packed a dress to change into in the airport so she could discard her sweater and leggings, but getting to sleep was the hard part. Finally, halfway over the country, she managed to fall into as restless sleep, and of course she had managed to drift off only when they were landing in Cabo. Excited, she rushed off the plane and into a bathroom, changing into a light blue dress and flip flops before rushing to meet Derek's plane. His flight had been an hour longer than hers, and she stood excitedly at his gate, waiting to catch that first glimpse of him. She saw his hair first – of course – and suddenly she was rushing at him, throwing herself into his arms and kissing him, and no one else was there in that moment except for the two of them, reunited in the Cabo San Lucas airport.

"I missed you so much," she said breathlessly, her palm touching his chest as she smiled up at him. She felt his hand on her ass and squealed quietly, rushing to kiss him again.

"I've missed you too, so much. Maine is so lonely without you," he smiled, nuzzling her neck gently. She should go another two months without seeing him, she reasoned, as they headed towards baggage claim. They were meeting Addison and Mark at the resort.

"Hanover is lonely without you too, I think I'm going to go crazy in all the snow," she laughed, looking outside at the bright sunshine waiting for them. Derek grabbed all four of their suitcases off the belt, and they headed outside into the hot air, waiting for the proper shuttle to take them to the resort. The four of them were renting a villa, something outrageously expensive that their parents credit cards were paying for, and they were determined to have the time of their lives together before going back to school to finish their freshman year of school.

They arrived at the main hotel building and checked in, then got transportation to their villa. It was a beautiful white structure, and the moment Meredith stepped inside she was attacked by Addison.

"Oh my gosh, I've missed you so much Mer!" she tall red head shrieked, and both guys clapped each other on the back, watching their girlfriends reunite. Meredith laughed, brushing back her long hair.

"I missed you too, Hanover is so cold and unforgiving," she laughed, though deep down she loved being there, she loved being at Dartmouth in the spot she felt like she had earned the most. Addison gave her a quick smile.

"Yale is everything I dreamed of, even if it's too close to home. I love it there, and I love that Mark's with me," she smiled happily, and Meredith suddenly felt a pang in her heart. Her best friend got to be with her boyfriend and she didn't, and it definitely hurt her. But, it was a small sacrifice to make for her dream school, she reasoned, and they'd be together after school was finished with, hopefully.

"You're lucky to be with him for school," Meredith replied with a small smile.

"Not everyone can be that lucky," she said, not meaning for it to be a backhanded comment, but saw Addison recoil from the blow anyway. She sighed lightly and ran her fingers through her hair.

"We're going to get settled in our room, okay?" she said, as she and Derek picked out a bedroom and got themselves settled, unpacking their suitcases and stowing everything away. Next, she wanted a tour of the villa, which was beautiful and impressive in itself, boasting everything from a wine cellar to an infinity pool that sat right outside on the deck, bordering the beach.

"This is so gorgeous," she smiled, reaching up to kiss Derek.

"Once again we'll have a vacation of epic proportions," she laughed, knowing that whenever the four of them were involved, something amazing always seemed to happen. Amazing and crazy.

"Yeah we will. I miss spending our time in Seattle on breaks sometimes but traveling is so much more fun," he smiled, catching her in a deep kiss by the pool. She smiled and kissed him back, the hot sun beating down on them before Addison and Mark came out and ruined their moment, but she didn't mind, she'd have plenty of stolen time with him over the course of the week.

"So did you guys want to explore town? We're absolutely starving and the legal drinking age is basically non existent," he teasted them, and soon Meredith was agreeing, heading back inside to find her shoes.

"We're in Mexico, the capital of tequila, of course I wasn't to explore and drink," she laughed, finding her bag and sunglasses. She was more than ready to have an epic time this trip.

* * *

 **Filler chapter, but next chapter will be filled with their crazy Mexican vacation antics!**


End file.
